§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the names and positions of(a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in her Department who communicated with UK MEPs prior to the European Parliament's vote on the Schoerling report on the EC White Paper on Chemicals on 15 November; and if she will make a statement on information given by them to MEPs on this matter. [20856]
§ Ms HewittMy noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation; Lord Sainsbury, has been in contact with Glyn Ford MEP to explain the overall UK position on the EU Chemicals Strategy. The UK position which he set out was entirely consistent with the overall Government policy on this issue, on which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads. The UK Government support the aims and objectives of the EU Chemicals Strategy. We wish to see a workable strategy which protects the environment and human health by targeting chemicals of most concern through the authorisation process while at the same time minimising animal testing, encouraging innovation and maintaining the competitiveness of the chemicals industry. We support the inclusion in the authorisation process of chemicals which are at the same time persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBTs) and which are very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB), once the necessary criteria for identification of PBTs and vPvBs are established; and also the inclusion of known endocrine disruptors when agreed scientifically valid test methods and criteria are established to identify these substances. Background briefing was also provided to Glyn Ford MEP in early September on a range of DTI issues, including on the EU Chemicals Strategy. This again was entirely consistent with the Government policy as set out above.
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