§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what grounds the Environment Protection Act 1990 was not extended to cover Northern Ireland; and when he intends to make a statutory provision for the protection of the environment here.
§ Mr. MossWhen this legislation was being considered, it was decided that, as with many such matters which could be expected to fall within the competence of a devolved legislature, it would be preferable to arrange separate provision by means of Orders in Council on the Northern Ireland statute book.
Legislation broadly equivalent to the 1990 Act is currently being introduced into Northern Ireland on a phased basis. Two Orders in Council dealing with litter and genetically modified organisms are already in place and a further two relating to the major issues of waste and industrial air pollution are at an advanced stage of preparation. The provisions of the 1990 Act dealing with radioactive substances, which applied on a UK basis, have been superseded by the Radioactive Substances Act 1993.