HC Deb 30 January 1997 vol 289 cc319-20W
Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) White Papers, (b) Green Papers, (c) consultation papers, (d) draft regulations and (e) circulars, for which his Department has been responsible issued in 1996 which his Department assesses could give rise, (i) directly and (ii) indirectly to significant environmental effects. [12702]

Dr. Liam Fox

[holding answer 27 January 1997]: The 1996 FCO departmental report describes those activities of both wings of the FCO connected with the environment. On 20 December, a Command Paper on the measures adopted at the 19th consultative meeting of the Antarctic treaty was presented to Parliament, CM3483. The measures include the designation of specially protected areas and their management. On 1 November, section 7 of the Antarctic Act 1967 concerning the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora came into force, No. 2666(C77).

The ODA did not issue formal papers in the environmental area in 1996, but consulted widely on a variety of relevant issues such as forests and issued guidance papers. These include the July edition of the manual of environmental appraisal and, in August, guidance to staff, both diplomatic wing and ODA, on international environmental agreements. Copies of both are in the Libraries of the House.