§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ratify the Convention on Environmental Rights signed at the Aarhus Conference in Denmark on 25 June 1998. [77656]
§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made following the signing of the Aarhus Convention on environmental rights in June 1998; and whether Britain will have ratified the Convention in time to be involved in the first meeting of signatories in Moldova in April. [78014]
§ Mr. MealeWe intend to ratify the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) as soon as we have the necessary measures in place to implement its provisions. In particular, that requires new legislation on access to environmental information. We are considering including measures in the forthcoming Freedom of Information Bill to implement the access to information provisions of the Convention.
The United Kingdom will play a full part in the first meeting of signatories to the Convention in Moldova in April, which will discuss a work programme on follow-up to the Convention. The United Kingdom has offered to host a workshop as part of that work programme.
The Convention will come into force when sixteen countries have ratified it. That is not expected to be until 2000 at the earliest. The Convention Secretariat is not aware that any country has yet ratified.