§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made towards the establishment of an environmental protection agency; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Tim SmithIn Northern Ireland most of the functions of the proposed agency in England and Wales are already carried out by the environment service of the Department of the Environment. I will decide whether or not any proposals for change in Northern Ireland should be made when final details of the proposed agency in England and Wales are known and when I have received the results of the prior options study of the environmental service which was announced by the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler), on 18 January 1994.