§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress there has been in identifying the extent of the damage by acid rain; and if he will make an up-to-date statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe position remains substantially as set out in the Government's reply to the fourth report from the Environment Committee (Cmnd. 9397). My Department has a substantial continuing programme of monitoring and research. I expect reports within the next 18 months from review groups studying the impact of acid rain deposition on terrestrial and aquatic systems in the United Kingdom and on materials, including ancient buildings and monuments. These reports, which will be published, should help in defining the scale of the problem and in elucidating its causes.