HC Deb 17 March 1997 vol 292 c456W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what date he received the formal request from the Environment Directorate of the European Commission for his observations on the complaint in respect of the Cardiff bay barrage; when he expects to make his response; and if he will place a copy of his response in the Library; [20521]

(2) what information he proposes to supply to the Environment Directorate of the European Commission in response to the request for United Kingdom Government observations on the complaint regarding the Cardiff bay barrage; if he will include details of the Treasury's cost-benefit analysis of the barrage in his response; and if he will make a statement; [20522]

(3) what information the Environment Directorate of the European Commission has requested concerning progress on the Gwent levels bird reserve project as part of the United Kingdom Government's observations on the complaint regarding the Cardiff bay barrage. [20520]

Mr. Clappison

The European Commission decided not to proceed with the complaint in respect of the Cardiff bay barrage in February 1996. It confirmed that they were satisfied with the compensatory measures put forward by the Government. Since then we have kept the Commission closely informed of progress on these measures, both in correspondence and in a series of discussions between the relevant officials. The Government have received no formal request for information from the Commission pursuant to any further complaint.