§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the national voluntary environmental code of practice on businesses; if he will list the 249W businesses which have agreed to follow the national environmental code of practice; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe are a number of voluntary codes—promoted by, for example, individual industries, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the CBI—through which a commitment to environmental management may be demonstrated.
The Government welcome such voluntary initiatives: the more industry chooses to operate in a sustainable manner, the less need there will be for Government to regulate.