§ Mr. Raffanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to facilitate the adoption by the European Commission of the soil survey of England and Wales's computer-based soil information system as the basis of the Commission's environmental information system.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand that scientific advisers of the European Commission have shown interest in the possibility of adopting the computerised system, used by the soil survey of England and Wales to describe land and 435W water use and management, as the standard for a European system in these areas of work. Consideration of this possibility is still at a very early stage. The issues are in the first instance scientific and technical and it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to seek to intervene directly with the Commission at this stage, before technical feasibility has been established.