§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what environmental protection measures deriving from European Community directives and regulations, apply to currently established enterprise zones; how environmental assessment measures apply to enterprise zones; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of implementation of environmental impact assessment in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. David HuntEuropean Community directive 85/337/EEC deals with environmental protection measures and directly affects enterprise zones. It has been fully implemented in Great Britain, in England and Wales through the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988. DOE circular 24/88 and Welsh Office circular 48/88 explain that provision should be included in planning schemes for enterprise zones designated since the directive, for the environmental assessment of projects within the scope of annexes I and II to the directive. I understand from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that similar arrangements are in force in Scotland. The indications from the first year of operation are that these implementation measures are fully effective, but my Department is commissioning research to monitor the position in Great Britain.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, that, so far as Northern Ireland is concerned, the main regulations required by the European directive on environmental assessment have been made and others are in the process of being made. The regulations that have been made are fully implemented.