Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has welcomed the presentation to Parliament today of the government's response to the report on transport and the environment which the Commission produced last year. In his foreword to the response the Minister of Transport, Dr John Reid, describes the Commission's work as 'central in setting this new agenda', which led to publication in July of the Transport White Paper.

Today's response confirms that the White Paper provides a framework for sustainable transport policies which will bring widespread benefits. What is crucial, in the Commission's view, is that all elements of that package of mutually reinforcing measures should be put into effect, and that this should be done rapidly and effectively.

Contact:

Enquiries about the government response published today or about the Transport White Paper should be directed to the Press Office of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on 0171 890 3045 (out of hours 0171 873 1966)

Additional Information:

The Royal Commission's report, Transport and the Environment (Eighteenth Report, Cm 2674), was published in October 1994. The Royal Commission assessed the progress made following that report, and published its conclusions in September 1997 in its Twentieth Report, Transport and the Environment - Developments since 1994(Cm 3752). That report was taken into account by the government in preparing its Transport White Paper, A new deal for transport: better for everyone (Cm 3950), published in July of this year.

What has been published today is the government's formal response to the Royal Commission's main conclusions:

"Government response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Twentieth Report. Presented to Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions." Cm 4066.

This response, and the other publications mentioned, are available from The Stationery Office.

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent standing body. Its terms of reference are to advise on matters, both national and international, concerning the pollution of the environment; the adequacy of research in this field; and the future possibilities of danger to the environment. Members of the Commission are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve part time. The present Chairman is Sir Tom Blundell FRS. The Chairman at the time of the Eighteenth and Twentieth Reports was Sir John Houghton CBE FRS.

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