§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a report will be published regarding the World Environment Conference at Stockholm; if his Department will consider producing a popular version of the subjects discussed; if it will conduct a publicity campaign to stress the importance of world co-operation against the effects of pollution; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerA report by the Secretary General of the Stockholm Conference is about to be considered by the United Nations General Assembly and will, when approved, be published.
The reports of the four working parties which I set up to collate public opinion on the issues discussed at Stockholm reveal a wide understanding of the importance of world co-operation in dealing with pollution and other environmental problems. Copies of these reports ("Pollution: Nuisance or Nemesis?", "Sinews for Survival", "Fifty Million Volunteers" and "How do you want to Live") are available through HMSO, and I have arranged for some 10,000 summaries of them to be distributed among the individuals and organisations that gave evidence. In addition the official Government publication for the Conference ("The Human Environment: the British View") has been published by HMSO and summaries are available through my Department's Information Directorate. Copies of the full versions of all these documents together with the United Nations Press release on the Conference issued on 19th June are in the Library of the House. These publications, together with the practical steps the Government are taking to follow up the Stockholm recommendations, will, I am sure, widen and deepen public understanding.