§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the tenth report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution, "Tackling Pollution: Experience and Prospects".
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI received an advance copy of the report on 17 February, and I shall be studying it with great care over the next few weeks.
My initial impression is that the report is fully in line with the high quality of its predecessors in its depth of thought and authority of coverage. It further illustrates the value for the Government as a whole of having a completely independent body of experts at work in the environmental pollution field.
The commission's many recommendations range over the whole environmental spectrum, and my right hon. Friends and I will do our best to respond constructively by the end of the Session. In the meantime, I would like to thank Professor Sir Richard Southwood and his commission colleagues most warmly for their efforts and wish them well as they embark on their next study of pollution wastes, including the problem of contaminated land.