§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will support the efforts of the UN environment programme to draw up a global, legally binding treaty to ban the most dangerous identified persistent organic pollutants at the forthcoming meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development. [22265]
§ Mr. GummerThe UK has played a major role in developing a proposed protocol on persistent organic pollutants under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe convention on long-range transboundary air pollution. The Government support the United Nations Environment Programme initiative to build on this work and will play an active role in its development.
§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to draw up a national plan of action(a) to end the United Kingdom's use of the most dangerous identified persistent organic pollutants and (b) to phase out the disposal of raw sewage and industrial waste in rivers and oceans. [22266]
§ Mr. GummerThe 12 most dangerous persistent organic pollutants identified by the United Nations Environment Programme are no longer used in this country, except for polychlorobiphenyls, the use of which is being phased out.
In line with the requirements of the urban waste water treatment directive, an implementation programme, which includes the provision of treatment for all significant discharges of sewage, has been established. A copy of this programme is in the Library of the House.
The discharge of industrial waste from prescribed processes is controlled by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. In issuing permits, it requires dischargers to apply the best available techniques not entailing excessive costs.