§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland ( I ) if he will make a statement on the plans and financing for the Scottish environment protection agency, announced on 23 September;
(2) if he will make a statement on the future of the Scottish industrial pollution inspectorate, the river purification authorities and the hazardous waste inspectorate, respectively.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 18 October 1991]: The Government will be issuing a consultation paper explaining the precise functions which we believe should be undertaken by the Scottish environment protection agency. The purpose of the proposed changes is to provide more effective pollution control through a single, integrated organisation.
The proposed agency would assume responsibility for the existing functions for air quality and radioactive waste exercised by The Scottish Office Environment Department through Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate —HMIPI; for the prevention and control of water pollution exercised by the river purification authorities—seven river purification boards, RPBs, and three islands councils; for the regulation of waste disposal and for local air quality exercised by the 53 district and three island councils. It would also incorporate the waste regulation monitoring activities of the Scottish Office Environment Department through its hazardous waste inspectorate—HWI.
Primary legislation to set up the new body will be needed. The RPBs, HMIPI and HWI would cease to exist as separate entities once the new agency was established. It would be a non-departmental public body with a board appointed by my right hon. Friend and funded by the Scottish Office. A substantial proportion of its running costs would be recovered through the charges now being introduced for authorisations and licences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Control of Pollution Act 1974, as amended.