§ 49. Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations are being made regarding environmental pollution from eastern European countries.
§ Mr. TrippierNo representations have been made recently. However, the Government are working actively to encourage the adoption of environmentally sound and sustainable policies in eastern European countries. To assist with this my Department has just announced a contribution of £50,000 for the east Europe programme of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Efforts are being pursued specifically through the group of 24 and its working groups on aid to Poland and Hungary and also through the 300 million ecu aid fund for these countries established by the European Community. We are urging that pollution surveys should be undertaken in Poland and Hungary as a first step in establishing an environmentally-sound base for sustainable aid in those countries.