§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has submitted to the Paris Commission on the efficacy of environmental quality objectives and uniform emission standards; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
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§ Mr. WaldegraveMy Department made a statement on the use of environmental quality objectives and uniform emission standards to a Paris Commission working group to evaluate the two approaches in February 1985. This statement, together with those of other contracting parties, was included as an annex to the seventh annual report on the activities of the Paris Commission; the report also records the conclusions reached on the subject by the commission at its seventh annual meeting. Arrangements are being made to place a copy in the Library. My Department also makes an annual return to the Paris Commission to demonstrate compliance with the quality standard for mercury.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to respond to the House of Lords Select Committee recommendation concerning the unification of uniform emission standards and the environmental quality objective approaches to water quality management.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn his speech of 21 November 1985 my noble Friend Lord Skelmersdale undertook that the Government would give serious consideration to the House of Lords Select Committee's recommendations concerning a "unified" approach to the control of discharge of list 1 substances, while pointing out that any change in the current parallel approach would have far-reaching implications and require very careful thought. This remains the position.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what degree financially in the last three years his Department has supported work on (a) the effects of hydrocarbon discharges, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons on the North sea, and (b) development of biological indicators of pollution, and if he will detail the institute or person with whom these contracts were placed.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn the last three years my Department has not supported work on the effects of hydrocarbon discharges to the sea. Some £500,000 has been spent on the development of biological indicators of pollution, the main projects being
— Sewage discharges to the sea and stress indices-at the Water Research Centre;— Evaluation of techniques for detecting pollution effects on benthic communities; and part of an integrated study on environmental quality — at the Institute for Marine Environmental Research;— Effects of heavy metals in estuarine benthic organisms at the Marine Biological Association.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the contribution Her Majesty's Government have made to the data bases being developed by the international council for the exploration of the sea and that of the joint monitoring programme of the Oslo and Paris commission.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe United Kingdom Government have played a full part in the development of these data bases and regularly submit information on the levels of contaminants in water, biota and sediments for particular locations.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what controls Her Majesty's Government have introduced in the last three years to control the discharge of grey list substances to coastal and estuarine waters.
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§ Mr. WaldegraveI refer to my replies to the hon. Member's questions on 27 November, at columns 314–15. Her Majesty's Government have introduced national quality standards in respect of six grey list substances—copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, lead and arsenic; quality standards have been set for saline as well as fresh water. Water authorities are required to ensure that the quality standards are met, which entails the appropriate control of discharges.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when Her Majesty's Government intend to publish the results of the study they sponsored to examine the implementation in England and Wales of the cadmium directive, 1983/513/EEC.
§ Mr. WaldegravePublication of the results of this study has been delayed because of the need to respect commercial confidentiality. However, agreement has now been reached with the companies concerned and I expect to publish the results shortly.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date water authorities have to draw up plans incorporating time scales for the reduction of pollution from list II substances for those areas where quality standards are not met.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWater authorities are required, under DOE circular 18/85, WO37/85, to inform my Department by 1 January 1988 of details of the measures they intend to take to enable the national quality standards so far established for list II substances to be met in any areas where they are not already being achieved, and of dates by which these measures will be taken.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment by when, through international agreement, Her Majesty's Government are obliged to ensure that the best technical means are employed to reduce pollution by certain substances; and whose advice is sought to assist his judgment on what the best technical means are.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAs far as discharges to water are concerned, Her Majesty's Government are already bound by the relevant provisions of the EC directives relating to discharges of mercury, cadmium, lindane, carbon tetrachloride, pentachlorophenol and DDT (directives 82/176, 83/513, 84/156, 84/491, and 86/280) to grant authorisations for new plants which apply the standards corresponding to the best technical means available, when that is necessary for the elimination of pollution or for the distortions to competition.
Hitherto my Department has, in determining best technical means available, drawn on the expertise of its own staff who have taken into account any relevant discussion that may have taken place in the Community at the time of negotiation of limit values for the substance concerned. In the future, consideration of what constitutes best technical means available will be one of the tasks undertaken by the water pollution arm of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list those occasions in the last three years when, in the light of experience or fresh scientific evidence, Her Majesty's Government have tightened numerically any environmental quality objectives;
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§ Mr. WaldegraveMy Department has not, in the last three years, tightened or relaxed any environmental quality standards.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of the Minister of State's statement that complete protection of all ecosystems is unattainable, it is his intention that Her Majesty's Government should adopt a precautionary approach to protection of the North sea.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Government already adopt a precautionary approach to the protection of the environment, including the North sea. We undertake, and will continue to undertake, measures to reduce inputs of contaminants to the marine environment where there are reasonable scientific grounds for supposing that failure to take action may in due course result in environmental damage. In doing so, we take into account the likely costs and benefits of such measures.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a detailed list of research for the wider activity of the joint monitoring group of Oslo and Paris commissions which Her Majesty's Government have conducted or commissioned in the last three years.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI shall write separately detailing the research asked for.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list cases where Her Majesty's Government have found it necessary to require a refinery within their jurisdiction to reduce the oil content of its discharge into marine, freshwater and estuarine ecosystems to 5mg/L.
§ Mr. WaldegraveConsent conditions for refineries are the responsibility of the water authorities and are available from public registers.