§ 36. Mr. Patrick ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution the United Kingdom Government are making to improving air pollution in eastern Europe.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe United Kingdom is a signatory, along with other states including those from Eastern Europe, of the United National Economic Commission for Europe convention on long range transboundary air pollution and plays an active part in the convention's various subsidiary bodies. Protocols under the convention control a range of air pollutants from sources within eastern and western Europe. The United Kingdom has made voluntary contributions to a UNECE trust fund to facilitate the participation of Eastern European countries in relevant meetings and in the convention.
In addition to its contribution to multilateral programmes of assistance to central and eastern Europe, the United Kingdom has also established the environmental know-how fund, which includes projects to combat air pollution in central and eastern Europe. Help is also being given for the restructurirg of the energy sector in central and eastern European countries, with benefits to the environment, under the main know-how fund.