The Environment Agencies Bill, announced in today's Queen's speech on the opening of Parliament, could reduce the protection for the environment and further weaken the regulatory arrangements.

In July 1991, prime minister John Major promised "to create a new agency for environmental protection and enhancement." [1]

Andrew Lees, Friends of the Earth's Campaigns Director, stated:

"The draft Bill published by John Gummer is a travesty. It does not even require the proposed Agency to protect and enhance the environment."

The draft Bill [2] also requires the proposed Agency to give undue weight to the short term financial implications of delivering higher levels of environmental protection. It does not allow the Agency to give legal precedence to:

* the precautionary principle * the prevention of damage * making the 'polluters' pay

This is despite the weight of public opinion. For example, some sixty two per cent of the respondents to a recent (1993) Department of the Environment public opinion poll believed that "the organisation, industry, or person causing the pollution should pay even if this means goods and services may cost...more". The comparative figure for 1986 was 27 per cent, rising to 31 per cent in 1989 [3].

The Bill should be amended to correct these fundamental flaws, says Friends of the Earth.

continues... John Major, in committing the UK Government to sustainable development, promised in January 1994 "to ensure that growth did not become an intolerable bill for future

CONTACT: Liana Stupples 071 490 0237 Guy Linley-Adams 071 566 1685 Neil Verlander 071 566 1649

[4] This is not set out as a clear objective in the Bill.

Andrew Lees added:

"The Bill should give each secretary of state and the Chancellor of the Exchequer an overriding duty to integrate environmental protection requirements into the definition and implementation of other domestic policies."

ENDS

NOTES:

[1]. "The Global Environment", speech on 8 July 1991. [2]. Department of the Environment Press Release, 13 October 1994. [3]. Table 10.10, p 139, Public Attitudes, Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics No 16, Department of the Environment, 1994. [4]. Forward in "Sustainable Development - The UK Strategy", HMSO, January 1994.

CONTACT: Liana Stupples 071 490 0237 Guy Linley-Adams 071 566 1685 Neil Verlander 071 566 1649