§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their intention to ratify the protocol to the 1979 convention on long-range trans-boundary air pollution etc.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Elton)The Government fully share the general will in Europe to overcome the environmental problems associated with trans-boundary air pollution. We have announced our aim of achieving a further reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions of 30 per cent. from the 1980 levels by the end of the 1990s. This would represent a total reduction in United Kingdom emissions of 47 per cent. from the peak levels in 1970. The protocol takes no account of the substantial emission reductions achieved by the UK before 1980. The Government consider that it would be wrong to commit the UK to the levels of investment 491WA that would be required to guarantee a reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions by 1993 of 30 per cent. on the 1980 levels and we have not, therefore, signed the protocol.