§ Mr. Matherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the British Government's attitude to the present antipollution regulations of the EEC.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe United Kingdom Government fully support the aims of the Community's environment programme. The main part of this programme deals with the reduction of pollution and nuisances, primarily by the establishment of quality objectives for the environment.
The setting of uniform Communitywide emission standards forms no part of the programme and the Government do not support such action. I made clear the Government's views on this score to 264W the Council of Ministers (Environment) on 16th October.
The Council has so far adopted four directives arising out of the programme: two relating to quality requirements for different uses of water—surface water used for drinking and bathing—and two relating to waste disposal, one a general framework and one on waste oil. The Government have played a full part in developing these directives into an acceptable form and will be putting them into effect.