HC Deb 25 November 1997 vol 301 cc464-5W
Ms Southworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the conference at Kyoto reaches effective conclusions. [16016]

Mr. Meacher

The UK has played a leading role in the negotiations to date, including through our position as part of the EU Presidency Troika in which role I and EU colleagues lobbied the US earlier this month. We are continuing to press for a successful outcome at Kyoto, which must include agreement to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by all developed countries for the post-2000 period. To this end, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has recently chaired a meeting of key developed countries in Tokyo and is visiting India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to explore their positions further.