§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses were received to the consultation paper of March proposing amendments to the scope of part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and when he proposes to consult on draft amending regulations.
§ Mr. YeoTwo hundred and fifty responses were received to the consultation paper. These have now been considered and I am most grateful to those who sent in their views.
I have today issued a second consultation paper which contains a statistical summary of these responses and invites comments on draft regulations to amend the prescribed processes and substances regulations.
I am pleased to say that a substantial proportion of the amendments should have the effect of lightening the burden on business. The regulations will continue to ensure that processes with the greatest pollution potential still come under the stringent controls introduced by part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. But we have identified cases where businesses had to meet more onerous requirements than were necessary, and opportunities for cutting red tape, for example by reducing the number of authorisations needed by certain processes.
388WA copy of the consultation paper has been placed in the Library of both Houses.