To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the pilot project established to test the effectiveness of British Standards 7750 on environmental management; and what meetings he, other Ministers or officials of his Department have had with British business to discuss the implementations of BS7750.
I have been asked to reply.It is for the British Standards Institution to decide whether to amend BS7750 in the light of the recent pilot project for the standard. DTI has had no meetings with industry to discuss the implementation of the standard which is a matter for discussion between industry and the institution. My Department and the Department of the Environment are, however, considering possible accreditation arrangements in relation to BS7750 and the proposed EC regulation on eco-management and audit, and any such arrangements will be the subject of wide consultation with industry.