To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the consultation on the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive to start. (79213)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2006, Official Report, column 499W, on the Environmental Liability Directive, why the first of the two consultations on the Environmental Liability Directive on policy options has been delayed. (80390)

The first public consultation on the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive will be launched later this year.

The Government are still considering how best to present the options for transposing the Directive. The Directive raises many issues because of its relationship with existing domestic environmental protection legislation. The Government want to ensure that the issues are clearly set out for optimum stakeholder engagement.