§ Sir Hugh Rossiasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what his Department is contributing to the European Year of the Environment.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe United Kingdom EYE Committee, of which the hon. Member is a member, has overall responsibility for the United Kingdom Programme for EYE.
My Department intends to provide more than £750,000 in direct support of the committee and the team which we have established to run EYE on a day-to-day basis. This sum includes £300,000 which, subject to parliamentary approval of the Estimates, will be available to grant-aid individual projects and events within the EYE programme.
DOE and PSA are sponsoring a number of events and projects for EYE, including an international pollution abatement fair and conference, the new "Better Environment" awards for industry (which will form part of a Community-wide award scheme) and a revised handbook on Community environmental policy. We have identified many other projects and activities to promote the themes of EYE, and will seek further opportunities to publicise the year and the activities of the committee.