HC Deb 19 October 1999 vol 336 cc508-9W
Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends next to visit the Ribble Valley. [93660]

Mr. Prescott

I have no current plans to visit Ribble Valley.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Poland. [94573]

Mr. Prescott

I visited Warsaw on 20 September to attend informal high level consultations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to be held in Bonn from 25 October to 5 November 1999. The meeting was well attended by Ministers and other high level representatives, and proved a valuable opportunity to discuss a number of important issues. I was pleased to note that there is still strong political commitment to the process and the participants reaffirmed their determination to drive the negotiations forward. I hope we can make good progress in Bonn and pave the way for a successful outcome at the Sixth Conference of the Parties, which is the deadline for decisions on key outstanding issues.