§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he will publish the ministerial guidance on contaminated land; [24805]
(2) when the contaminated land provisions of the Environment Act 1995 will come into effect. [24806]
§ Mr. ClappisonInformal consultations are taking place on a working draft of the statutory guidance on contaminated land, being prepared under section 57 of the Environment Act 1995. I envisage a further round of informal consultations. The formal draft will be published in time to allow three months for consultation before those parts of the final guidance requiring parliamentary consideration are laid before Parliament at the start of the new Session.
The contaminated land provisions will not be brought into force until the guidance has been formally issued.