HC Deb 27 July 2000 vol 354 cc771-2W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors underlay the decision to delay the submission in draft of the United Kingdom discharge strategy to the OSPAR Commission meeting in Denmark in June; and what considerations led to the decision to submit the document to the meeting. [133454]

Mr. Meacher

Publication of the Consultation Document on the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001–2020 was not delayed: it was published as soon as possible after the document was finalised. The document was not submitted to the June meeting of the OSPAR Commission but, after publication, copies were circulated to those attending the meeting, since it was relevant to the discussions at the meeting on the implementation of the OSPAR Strategy with regard to Radioactive Substances.

Mr. Gordon Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the UK contribution to the OSPAR Quality Status report for the Celtic Seas Region. [133612]

Mr. Mullin

I have today published a "Quality Status Report of the Marine and Coastal Areas of the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel". This report was prepared for my Department by the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) as part of the work involved in preparing the "Quality Status Report of the Celtic Seas" which was launched by the OSPAR Commission on 30 June.

The report published today summarises and evaluates information on the current health of the coastal and marine environment of the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel, and the impact of man's activities upon these areas. The assessment shows that the marine environment of the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel is generally in a good state of health, although it highlights over-fishing, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the pressure for more intensive use of coastal land as being of particular concern. Its conclusions are relevant to policy considerations and to decisions affecting future developments near the coasts, and to the setting of conservation priorities.

In addition, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have today published a "Directory of the Celtic Coasts and Seas". This document was commissioned by DETR to complement the OSPAR "Quality Status Report of the Celtic Seas". The Directory describes the physical characteristics of the coastline of the Celtic Seas, the marine influences which affect it and regionally important habitats and species. It also describes the national, European and international measures which have been adopted to protect the natural resources in the area.

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