§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to provide specialist assistance to small businesses suffering economic hardship arising from784W the new requirements to comply with the part I air pollution process controls under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
§ Mr. LeighIn framing air pollution controls under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are, however, required to apply the principles of best available techniques not entailing excessive costs which requires companies to use the best available techniques provided these do not entail excessive costs. Individual authorisations are a matter for the companies and local authorities concerned. My Department has been involved in discussions over the guidelines which inform local authorities.
My Department operates a number of schemes of assistance and provides information and advice to help large and small firms to develop and adopt the technologies and practices which will enable them to remain competitive in the face of rising environmental standards. In particular, the Department's environmental inquiry point offers free advice on a range of environmental issues; and it is open to small firms to use the consultancy initiatives to obtain assisted consultancy help on specific environmental problems. I have also recently announced that my Department will be piloting "one-stop shops" to provide small firms with initial guidance on all matters relevant to their competitive position, including environmental matters.