§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Environment Ministers' meeting on 12 June.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting. I was accompanied by my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment and my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department.
The Council agreed amendments to the major accident hazards directive (82/501/EEC) and to the decision (77/795/EEC) for a Community water information system, and reached general agreement on all the main points arising from a proposal for a directive on animal experimentation. The Council also discussed the sulphur content of gas oil, waste oils, and emissions from large combustion plants. The Commission briefly outlined its forthcoming proposals for diesel particulates and heavy vehicles.
The Council discussed the accident at the nuclear plant at Chernobyl and expressed its concern for all those affected. It concluded that there was a need for improved international communication and co-operation in relation to all aspects of civil nuclear power.