HC Deb 05 February 1993 vol 218 cc383-4W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he regards the testing of cosmetics on laboratory animals as a relevant criterion in assessing fitness of a product for an ecolabel award by the Ecolabelling Board;

(2) what guidelines have been provided to member states by the European Commission in relation to the scope for life cycle assessment studies for ecolable criteria studies; and if he will place the guidelines in the Library;

(3) what is the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board's target for the range of market share to be obtained by products receiving an ecolabel; if the board intends to issue an ecolabel to at least one brand of each product; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that an adequate objective standard is met in all cases where an ecolabel is issued.

Mr. Maclean

The United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board has been established to administer and promote the European Community ecolabelling scheme nationally and has responsibility for dealing with the operational aspects of the scheme. I have therefore asked the board to reply to the hon. Member direct.

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has had from Body Shop in relation to the standards of assessment established by the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board; what response has been made; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean

My Department has received no representations from the Body Shop on this matter. I understand, however, that the Body Shop has raised the matter with the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board and I have asked the board to reply to the hon. Member direct.

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board to be financially self-sufficient; and what impact on the timetable for self-sufficiency he expects the rate of awarding labels will have.

Mr. Maclean

One of the aims of the UK Ecolabelling Board is that it should ultimately become self-financing. My Department has asked the board to prepare a plan for covering its costs in the sixth year of operation. This target will be reviewed annually following discussions of the board's corporate plan and in the light of the success of the scheme.