§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures for monitoring dangerous chemicals are in operation in the United Kingdom; and what steps have been taken to improve the system following the Second Report of the Royal Commission on the Environment.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffiths:Central and local government and river authorities operate extensive monitoring programmes, including chemical analyses, to assess the level and significance of potential pollutants entering the environment from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources. The dumping of dangerous chemicals at sea is controlled under the terms of the Oslo Convention, and on land by the Deposit of Poisonous Waste Act which became law in March, 1972. Discussions are in progress with the CBI on the development of an early warning system on the environmental impact of new products, including chemicals, and it is hoped fairly shortly to open wide consultations on the question of secrecy with regard to industrial effluents.