§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the total of annual public expenditure on the protection and improvement of the environment listed under suitable headings.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerMuch of the expenditure included in Command 4578 under the heading "Miscellaneous Local 207W Services", as well as some of the expenditure incurred by local authorities under other headings, may be considered as contributing to the protection and improvement of the environment. But since one programme or project may have several different objectives—a new sewerage works built to provide increased capacity may also reduce river pollution; a new bypass built to ease traffic flows may also improve the environment of the town centre—it is not possible readily to identify the costs attributable to this particular objective. I am writing further to my hon. Friend.