§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the recent report by the European Commission on the effects of environmental and economic policies. [1169]
§ Mr. ClappisonMuch of the analysis and policy prescription in the European Commission report is in line with the views of Her Majesty's Government as set out in the UK's sustainable development strategy. In particular, the Government are committed to promoting the use of economic instruments where this is appropriate, though each case should be judged on its own merits. In the case of the landfill tax, the Government also adopted the principle of using a tax on pollution to reduce more distortionary taxes on employment. However, individual countries should in general be left to make their own choice of the most appropriate instrument to achieve their environmental goals.