§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to issue advice to local authorities on the exercise of their new air pollution control functions under part I of the Environmental Protection Bill.
§ Mr. TrippierThe new system of air pollution control being established under part I of the Bill represents a major strengthening of local authorities' powers over polluting industry.
It is important that local authorities work to a common set of standards and I intend that no process should be 191W scheduled for local authority control until relevant guidance has been published. More than 70 guidance notes will be needed, and we are well on target to produce them. The final drafts of the first seven notes, produced with the assistance of the local authorities and industry, have today been circulated to interested parties for comment and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Through the guidance notes, not only local authorities, but industry and the public will be aware of the standards of air pollution control we expect to be achieved.