§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set targets to reduce the release of(a) cancer-causing chemicals and (b) other harmful chemicals. [14527]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government set a range of targets in their Chemicals Strategy published in 1999, "Sustainable Production and Use of Chemicals—a strategic approach". Our key priority is to make progress in generating information about chemicals in widespread use and identifying those of most concern so that action can be taken. A Stakeholder Forum was established to implement the strategy and it met its first target by publishing a set of criteria for identifying chemicals of most concern in December 2000. The forum is now working to identify chemicals that meet these criteria.
The Stakeholder Forum is developing indicators of environmental exposure to hazardous chemicals, including those that are carcinogenic. This research will be used to set more specific targets for reducing overall exposure of the environment. I expect the development of the indicators to be completed by July 2002.
In the meantime, an international programme has been agreed to assess the hazards of chemicals that are produced in high volumes. A target has been set to complete 1,000 hazard assessments by 2004. These assessments will provide the information needed to decide whether a chemical is likely to be of concern. The Government will keep the programme under review. Industry and the Stakeholder Forum will review all of the chemicals that meet the criteria for concern. Risk management strategies on chemicals likely to cause serious damage will be produced by 2010 to ensure their 74W withdrawal from use. By 2015, the international chemicals industry aims to have completed hazard assessments for the 4,100 high production volume chemicals. The UK strategy aims to have at least sufficient data to characterise hazards of all commercially produced chemicals.
The emphasis of the strategy is voluntary action, and full transparency in decision making. This will be a faster route to phasing out chemicals of most concern than the legislation, although I will resort to that if we fail to secure co-operation.
In parallel with the UK strategy, the European Commission is developing legislation to implement its White Paper on a future chemicals policy. The Government are playing an active role to shape the proposals to ensure that an effective mechanism is put in place to ensure rapid progress in phasing out the uses of chemicals of most concern.