§ 86. Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the last annual meeting of the Paris commission held in Lisbon on 15 to 17 June.
§ Mr. MoynihanThis year's annual meeting of the Paris commission made good progress in a number of areas. The commission endorsed measures taken by member states to reduce pollution from emissions of mercury, cadmium and PCBs in response to earlier recommendations. New recommendations were agreed to reduce inputs of nutrients to those areas of the sea where they were likely to cause pollution, and to develop procedures to restrict the use of tributyl-tin compounds on sea-going vessels. The commission unanimously adopted two new recommendations relating to radioactivity in the marine environment which strengthen the agreement reached at the second North sea conference. Together with the Oslo commission, the commission accepted the invitation in the North sea conference declaration to establish a scientific task force to develop a harmonised programme of studies on the North sea. A decision on the use of oil-based muds in offshore activities was adopted, including a standard for the oil content of drill cuttings, but with reservations from the United Kingdom and Denmark. However, the United Kingdom undertook to review its position on this.
A proposal from Ireland calling for the commission to recommend the closure of Sellafield was not supported.
The commission's annual report, containing an account of its proceedings, will be published in the autumn.