Environmental Protection (Hansard, 30 June 1988)

§ Mr. Moynihan

Her Majesty's Government have been active participants from the beginning in the tropical forest action plan and were instrumental in introducing conservation as an objective into the international tropical timber agreement. The United Kingdom is currently a member of the TFAP's technical assistance group and the Food and Agriculture Organisation's committee on forestry and committee on forestry development in the tropics. We play an active role in both the council and permanent committees of the International Tropical Timber Organisation and contribute annually to its administrative budget. The amount for 1988 was US$ 59.895.

Support is also given to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, which controls the import of those species of hardwood considered to be endangered. CITES is implemented throughout the European Community by EC regulations Nos. 3626/82 and 3418/83.

The Overseas Development Administration has provided technical assistance to several of the TFAP's sector review missions. The TFAP has not reached the stage of project implementation in most of the countries involved. However, projects being undertaken by the Overseas Development Administration include:

	£ million
Ghana: Forest inventory and management	4.80
Cameroon: Korup national park	0.44
Cameroon: Limbe botanic garden	0.75
Nigeria: Oban national park	0.07
Indonesia: Feasibility study for communications system for forest protection	0.14
Sierra Leone: Research into natural forest management	0.08
Brazil: Research into forest regeneration	0.04

At a national level the Overseas Administration provided £5,000 to support the recent Oxford forestry institute conference on the future of the tropical rain forest.

On the ozone layer, the United Kingdom was closely involved in the negotiation of the Vienna convention for the protection of the ozone layer, which it signed in 1985 and ratified in May 1987, and of the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, of which the United Kingdom was an initial signatory in September 1987. The United Kingdom also played an active part in discussions of proposals to ratify and implement the protocol on which the EC Environment Council on 16 June reached a common position subject to parliamentary reserves on behalf of the United Kingdom and several other member states. The Council also agreed a political resolution emphasising the importance of voluntary action to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons and halons 362W further. Officials of the Departments of Environment and Trade and Industry have regular meetings with British industry on implementation of the protocol, as elaborated in my answer of 8 March to the hon. Member, at column 119. Officials have participated in conferences organised by the refrigeration industry, which I addressed, and by the electronics industry. The United Kingdom participates in a United Nations environment programme working group on data harmonisation for the purposes of the protocol.

As regards research, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 19 April, at column 426, to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 20 April, at columns 495 and 496, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown) on 14 June, at column 138. The United Kingdom participates in meetings of UNEP's coordinating committee on the ozone layer and in other ad hoc scientific meetings. The Department's chief scientist is at present leading the United Kingdom delegation at the UNEP-WHO conference on the changing atmosphere in Toronto. The United Kingdom was involved in the experimental programme in Antarctica last year and will participate in a similar programme in the Arctic in January 199. Following an initiative by the United Kingdom, progress has been made on European co-operation on stratospheric ozone research in EC and EFTA countries through meetings hosted by the United Kingdom.

With regard to the North sea, the United Kingdom is an active member of the Oslo and Paris commissions and its working groups. The commissions' members include all the North sea states, and agreements reached by members have contributed to a considerable reduction of pollution of the marine environment in general as well as focusing attention on the North sea. The United Kingdom is also an active participant in the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas.

In November of last year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment chaired the second international conference on the protection of the North sea. It brought together all the North Sea states and the Commission of the European Communities. A ministerial declaration, to which the United Kingdom subscribed, set a programme for long-term protection of the North sea. Following the conference the United Kingdom hosted the inaugural meeting of the scientific task force, which is to be established through the Oslo and Paris commissions and ICES to co-ordinate work internationally to enhance scientific knowledge of the North sea. The United Kingdom is taking an active part in the preparations for the third North sea conference to be held in 1990.

Work on particular aspects of the marine environment affecting the North sea also involves a range of other international organisations including the International Maritime Organisation, the London dumping convention and the Commission of the European Communities.

Expenditure on the Paris and Oslo commissions in 1987–88 by the United Kingdom was £74,000. This includes the cost of ICES North sea environmental works. Contributions to the work of the task force will he met through future years' budgets of the Oslo and Paris commissions.

The United Kingdom is also active in sponsoring a substantial programme of research relevant to the North 363W sea and in supporting a number of voluntary bodies, including the marine forum and the advisory committee on pollution of the sea.