§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had relating to its assessments of the ecological resources of the Gulf states from the world conservation monitoring centre in Cambridge.
§ Mr. BaldryIn addition to the hon. Member's question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 March,Official Report, Volume 188, column 246, I have also received a letter from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre which draws attention to the work carried out by the centre on the Gulf conflict.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what protection has been given to sea grasses in the Gulf.
§ Mr. BaldryI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 March 1991,Official Report, Vol. 188, column 245.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 245, in what ways he has made the work of the Plymouth marine laboratory of NERC known to the Gulf states.
§ Mr. BaldryThe report on the likely biological effects of the Gulf oil slick carried out by the Natural Environment Research Council was sent to relevant agencies in Saudi Arabia via the British embassy in Riyadh in early February, and to British embassies in other Gulf states.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the information learned from the work of the Meteorological Office research aircraft in the Gulf;
(2) what information he has had from members of the Meteorological Office, in relation to sulphur dioxide and other deleterious substances, as a result of their research flight over Kuwait; and what further monitoring action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. BaldryI am arranging to place in the Library copies of an assessment by Departments concerned of the potential impact of the burning oil wells in Kuwait on the environment and human health; and of a report by the Meteorological Office on the recent activities of the meteorological research flight in the region. Following analysis of the data gathered by the aircraft, the Meteorological Office will publish a preliminary report of the findings in a few weeks' time. No further monitoring action is currently planned.
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§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what satellite images of the effect of the pollution over Kuwait have been made available by other countries to his Department.
§ Mr. BaldryMeteorological satellite images provide information on the location and extent of the smoke plume in the Gulf rather than on its effects. Images from European meteorological satellites are available to all nations through normal receiving channels.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department is providing to the Kuwait Government to help them to cope with the effect of summer ventilation systems in Kuwait inhaling air with abnormal sulphur dioxide and nitrogen content.
§ Mr. BaldryNone at present. My Department continues to be in contact with the Gulf states about whether there is further scope for the application of United Kingdom expertise in the evaluation of the environmental effects of the war and possible remedial action.