§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish general guidance on the implementation and operation of integrated pollution control.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Baroness Blatch)The Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office have today published a document entitledIntegrated Pollution Control—a Practical Guide which provides guidance on Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the associated Regulations in so far as they relate to integrated pollution control (IPC). Copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The guidance describes and explains the legislation. It describes the procedures for obtaining or varying an IPC authorisation and explains the meaning of key terms such as best available techniques not entailing excessive cost.
The guidance takes account of discussions with various representative bodies, including the Confederation of British Industry and the Chemical Industries Association. We believe the guidance will prove an invaluable source of assistance to both industry and HMIP in securing the orderly implementation and operation of IPC. It complements and provides for framework for more detailed guidance and instructions on IPC procedures and individual classes of IPC process which HMIP will be publishing in the coming weeks and months. In addition, over the next few months HMIP will be holding a series of seminars locally for businesses which will come within IPC, to explain in depth how the new system will work in practice. Details will be available shortly.
The general guidance will be reviewed after about 12 months' experience of IPC and will if necessary then be amended and updated. The general guidance can be obtained free of charge from the Department of the Environment, Room A107, Romney House, 43 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3PY, or from the HMIP Regional Headquarters Offices in Bedford, Bristol and Leeds.