Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for policy initiatives to be taken at the forthcoming international conference of northern industrialised nations in Bergen, Norway in May.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Bergen conference, which is being organised by the Norwegian Government under the 769W auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, will examine the extent to which the recommendations of the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development have been implemented. It will enable Ministers from ECE countries to decide what co-operative action is needed to tackle the main environmental problems of the world, particularly those confronting eastern Europe.
The United Kingdom is playing a prominent part in the preparations for the conference. Last year we hosted the first of four international preparatory workshops. We have also contributed a report, "Sustaining Our Common future", reviewing the substantial progress we have made within the United Kingdom in following up the WCED report.