To ask the Secretary of State far the Environment (1) what evaluation his Department has made of the use of a geographical information system for providing publicly available data on emissions to air and water as stated in the Environmental Protection Act 1990;(2) what plans his Department has for the use of geographical information systems to provide detailed publicly available information on changes in local, regional and national environments.
[holding answer 27 May 1993]: It is for bodies responsible for collecting environmental information, including the maintenance of statutory registers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to consider whether the additional costs of providing geographic information in electronic form are justified.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is carrying out preliminary work to assess the costs and benefits of a geographic information system for a range of uses which may also include the statutory registers for which they are responsible.