Environmental Issues (Hansard, 26 March 1991)

§ Mr. Needham

The Government's response is being published today and a copy has been placed in the Library. We are committed to safeguarding Northern Ireland's rich natural and man-made environment and we welcome the report as a constructive and opportune contribution towards achieving this end.

The Government recognise the need to accelerate action to conserve and enhance the environment in Northern Ireland and are making available substantially increased resources to deal with the backlog of environmental legislation and to protect valuable habitats.

Much has already been done. Some 20 per cent. of Northern Ireland currently lies within designated areas of 365W outstanding natural beauty. There are seven country parks, 44 national nature reserves and 26 areas of special scientific interest. The Giant's Causeway is a world heritage site and Lough Neagh and Lough Beg have together been designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention. Consultations are under way which will lead to the declaration of the internationally important Strangford Lough as a marine nature reserve. Some 167 historic monuments are in state care and almost 1,000 monuments have been scheduled for protection; 26 conservation areas have been designated and 7,800 buildings of architectural and historic importance listed.

Progress has also been made in dealing with pollution. Significant advances have been made in reducing smoke and SO₂ levels since the clean air legislation was introduced in 1964. Some 95 per cent. of rivers are classified as good or fair under the national river classification scheme. The large number of prosecutions for water pollution offences in Northern Ireland is evidence of the Government's determination to protect this asset.

The Government are reviewing their rural planning policy. The review will take account of the duty to preserve, on the one hand the natural beauty of the countryside and on the other the needs of a strong rural society.

The Government fully recognise the need to build on the progress which has already been made. They are committed to increasing the protection of habitats, for example, by accelerating the programme for the survey and declaration of areas of special scientific interest and to the preservation of scientific beauty by reviewing of areas of outstanding natural beauty. Secondly, we have undertaken to conserve the man-made heritage by completing the survey of all historic monuments by 1995 and the listing of all pre-1960 buildings of architectural and historic interest by 1994. Thirdly, we will continue to improve pollution control by greatly extending the water quality monitoring of all main rivers and estuaries and by enhancing sewage treatment. The Government will encourage the public to be more aware of Northern Ireland's heritage and emphasise the fact that the individual has a significant contribution to make to a good environment.

The Government have already taken action, or are planning, to meet all but one of the Committee's recommendations. However, we have concluded that we would not be justified in accepting the recommendation that an independent environmental agency should be established.

Firstly, the creation of an independent agency would conflict with the recommendations in the Balfour report. Secondly, decisions already taken, or planned, will resolve the problems which underlie the Committee's recommendation. The establishment of a Government-owned company to take over responsibility for water and sewerage services will separate these services from the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland. The Department will retain the regulatory functions. This division of responsibility will eliminate the "poacher-gamekeeper" factor in relation to water pollution control.

In addition, resources are being increased; the status of conservation and other environmental policies has been enhanced by the creation of a directorate whose head is a member of the DOE(NI) top management team; and the 366W Government are committed to assuring the public that environmental factors will be a vital part of decision making.

In the recent White Paper "This Common Inheritance", the Government confirmed their undertaking to protect Northern Ireland's environment and to bequeath to future generations an unspoiled countryside with clean air and unpolluted rivers and seas. In responding to the Committee's report, we reaffirm our commitment to implement positive environmental policies which will safeguard the natural and man-made heritage in Northern Ireland.