HL Deb 30 January 1992 vol 534 cc53-4WA
Lord Clinton-Davis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in connection with the letter in which they assert that the President of the EC Commission rebuked the Environment Commissioner for his conduct over seven alleged breaches of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive by the United Kingdom, they will either publish the letter or desist from referring to it.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Baroness Blatch)

In the same way that correspondence between members states and the Commission about Article 169 proceedings is conducted in confidence, it would be inappropriate to publish correspondence from the President of the EC Commission in this case.

Lord Clinton-Davis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why their response to the EC Commission's claim that they had failed to apply the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive to seven major works projects was released to the press before it was received by the Commission.

Baroness Blatch

Her Majesty's Government's reply to the Commission was not released to the press before it was delivered to the Commission on the 17th December 1991, nor has it been released to them subsequently.