§ Ms Rosie WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to carry out the review of policy on chemicals in the environment announced by the Deputy Prime Minister last year. [52544]
§ Mr. MeacherI will be launching the first stage of the review process, a consultation paper on "Sustainable Production and Use of Chemicals", on Monday 27 July 1998. Copies of the consultation paper will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and also in the Vote Office. This consultation paper is part of the Government's family of consultation papers on sustainable development.
The consultation paper seeks views on how the mechanisms for identifying and acting on potentially damaging chemicals in the environment can be improved.
The views received during the consultation period will feed into the development of a White Paper on the sustainable production and use of chemicals to be published early next year.