§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to join the other ten European nations in agreeing a 30 per cent. reduction in acidic emissions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 7 November 1988]On 1 November in Sofia, my noble Friend the Minister for Housing Environment and Countryside signed, on behalf of the Government, the protocol to the514W 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the control of emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (the "NOx Protocol"). This commits its signatories to halt the hitherto inexorable rise in NOx emissions (bringing emissions back to 1987 levels by 1994), to apply suitable standards to stationary and mobile sources, and by 1996 to have adopted control policies based on the "critical loads" which the environment can tolerate. Achieving an international commitment to putting policy development on to an explicit scientific footing is a major breakthrough. I am also pleased to say that the protocol commands widespread support from East and West Europe and North America. Twenty five countries signed the protocol and more indicated their hope to sign in the near future. This represents a major international commitment.
Soon before the protocol was due to be signed the Government received an invitation to sign a draft declaration to the effect that they would by 1998 achieve reductions in NOx emissions of at least 30 per cent. measured from a baseline of any year between 1980 and 1985. We did not however think it right to commit ourselves both to an arbitrary percentage target for 1998 and to the quite different "critical loads" approach of the protocol for the earlier date of 1996. At the last moment the draft declaration was reduced to a commitment to achieve reductions "in the order of 30 per cent. from a baseline of any year between 1980 and 1986 Twelve countries signed this version on 31 October, but it is uncertain from the final wording what action they mean to take, whereas the protocol is specific.
The United Kingdom is committed to taking action on the basis of scientific study of the problems caused by acid deposition and the implications of various possible solutions. The 1979 convention provides the right forum for advancing the international consensus which is essential if transboundary air pollution problems are to be successfully tackled.