§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidance they are planning to issue in respect of contaminated land.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Viscount Ullswater)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today issued a draft of the guidance on the definition and identification of contaminated land which will help inform the debate on the contaminated land clause of the Environment Bill. Copies have been placed in the Library. Further guidance as set out in the clause, including guidance on remediation standards and notices, special sites and the "appropriate person" on whom to serve a remediation notice will follow in due course. In addition, the draft issued today contains an extensive list of technical guidance reports that our department has either issued or has in hand. This represents a very important contribution to the methodology of dealing with contaminated land.
Furthermore, the Construction Industry Research and Information Association will be publishing 12 reports on contaminated land which are part-funded by our department, working in partnership with the construction industry. The first batch of these will be launched at the forthcoming International Land Regeneration Expo '95 on 23 May 1995. Once again, these reports will form an important body of expertise for those working with contaminated land.