§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will identify the(a) health, (b)safety and (c) environmental standards which apply to United Kingdom producers of timber which do not apply to 266W similar producers in Baltic states; and if he will make a statement on the impact which such standards have upon United Kingdom costs of production. [74150]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 2 March 1999]: There are many health, safety and environmental standards which apply to the UK forestry and sawmilling industry, the majority of which emanate from European Directives. These have been introduced under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 among other statutes. Health and Safety standards include those laid down in secondary legislation such as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations; the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations; the personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations; the Noise at Work Regulations; and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. While the Government recognise that there may be costs for business associated with higher environmental standards, they do not believe that these costs are significant over the long term in relation to the overall costs of sawmill operations.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have Association Agreements with the EU under which they undertake to align their laws in respect of these standards with EU legislation by 2005, and are receiving assistance from the EU and member states to achieve this earlier in the context of intensifying their preparations for accession to the EU.