§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will now make available maps showing the sensitivity of fresh waters in Great Britain to acid rain damage and the present and prospective extent of the areas liable to damage.
§ Lord StrathclydeWe are issuing today a report to the Department of the Environment by the UK Critical Loads Advisory Group entitledCritical and Target Loads Maps for Freshwaters in Great Britain. This complements earlier work by the group on the sensitivity of soils in Great Britain, and supersedes earlier provisional maps relating to freshwaters in Scotland. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library. This work will help to inform the consideration of policy on acid rain in the United Kingdom and the preparation of a new agreement in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on the abatement of sulphur dioxide.