What steps she has taken to improve the cleanliness of Britain's rivers and waterways.

What steps she has taken to improve the cleanliness of Britain's rivers and waterways.

The River Cherwell and the Oxford canal will soon appear proudly on Cherwell district council’s new coat of arms as being two of the most valued and precious amenities in the district. Am I right in thinking that the total of rivers whose water quality has improved under this Government now exceeds the length of the Amazon and the Nile combined? What more can be done to ensure that our rivers and canals continue to become cleaner?

The River Cherwell and the Oxford canal will soon appear proudly on Cherwell district council’s new coat of arms as being two of the most valued and precious amenities in the district. Am I right in thinking that the total of rivers whose water quality has improved under this Government now exceeds the length of the Amazon and the Nile combined? What more can be done to ensure that our rivers and canals continue to become cleaner?

That is exactly the point that I wanted to make. We cannot necessarily expect the Environment Agency to fund the totality of flood defences. In Banbury, recently completed flood defences cost £17 million: £9 million came from the Environment Agency, but £8 million came from others, including the district council,...

That is exactly the point that I wanted to make. We cannot necessarily expect the Environment Agency to fund the totality of flood defences. In Banbury, recently completed flood defences cost £17 million: £9 million came from the Environment Agency, but £8 million came from others, including the district council,...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Will my hon. Friend give way?

May I offer my right hon. Friend many congratulations on what has been achieved? Does he agree that one of the major achievements of Durban was that for the first time everyone in the world, including the major emitters—the United States, India and China—are now committed to the same process...

May I offer my right hon. Friend many congratulations on what has been achieved? Does he agree that one of the major achievements of Durban was that for the first time everyone in the world, including the major emitters—the United States, India and China—are now committed to the same process...

If my right hon. Friend is going to meet these targets by reducing emissions here, it will mean reducing a lot of emissions from domestic housing. Will he give us more information about how he is going to achieve that with existing housing, and what exactly does he mean when...

If my right hon. Friend is going to meet these targets by reducing emissions here, it will mean reducing a lot of emissions from domestic housing. Will he give us more information about how he is going to achieve that with existing housing, and what exactly does he mean when...

May I ask the Secretary of State a question as a vice-chairman of the all-party group on China? It was disappointing that China sought to strip out any language that would have led to Copenhagen being a treaty and to strip out any figures at all. How do the Secretary...

May I ask the Secretary of State a question as a vice-chairman of the all-party group on China? It was disappointing that China sought to strip out any language that would have led to Copenhagen being a treaty and to strip out any figures at all. How do the Secretary...

As someone who served on the Public Bill Committee on the Climate Change Bill, I very much welcome the Secretary of State's statement, although one thing puzzles me. If we are to meet the emission targets, surely power stations such as Kingsnorth will require effective carbon capture from day one,...

As someone who served on the Public Bill Committee on the Climate Change Bill, I very much welcome the Secretary of State's statement, although one thing puzzles me. If we are to meet the emission targets, surely power stations such as Kingsnorth will require effective carbon capture from day one,...

As I think was said earlier, this whole area of climate change provides the UK with considerable opportunities to export our green, clean technology. As my hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo), the Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, said in his very good contribution, if British...

As I think was said earlier, this whole area of climate change provides the UK with considerable opportunities to export our green, clean technology. As my hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo), the Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, said in his very good contribution, if British...

The speech of the right hon. Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) demonstrates that this debate cannot be just about targets; it also has to be about ensuring that this and other Governments have a coherent energy policy. None of us chooses when we are born, so none...

The speech of the right hon. Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) demonstrates that this debate cannot be just about targets; it also has to be about ensuring that this and other Governments have a coherent energy policy. None of us chooses when we are born, so none...

The Minister is pushing at an open door in persuading not all, but the overwhelming majority of the House, I suspect, about the urgent need for the Bill, but will he help us with the question of targets? In the other place, Lord Rooker made it clear, saying:"““We admit that...

The Minister is pushing at an open door in persuading not all, but the overwhelming majority of the House, I suspect, about the urgent need for the Bill, but will he help us with the question of targets? In the other place, Lord Rooker made it clear, saying:"““We admit that...

Is not the point that the hon. Gentleman makes, which was made by my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Hurd), that the central issue is funding—for example, of the Committee on Climate Change? We saw DEFRA being rolled over on the rural payments scheme. The Treasury did not...

Is not the point that the hon. Gentleman makes, which was made by my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Hurd), that the central issue is funding—for example, of the Committee on Climate Change? We saw DEFRA being rolled over on the rural payments scheme. The Treasury did not...

My hon. Friend has not quite responded to the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory). Some of us in the House deserve a bit of attention today, because it is the 25th anniversary of the 1983 intake into the House of Commons, so...

My hon. Friend has not quite responded to the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory). Some of us in the House deserve a bit of attention today, because it is the 25th anniversary of the 1983 intake into the House of Commons, so...

It is a pleasure to have you in the Chair, Mr. Chope. Metal is the most recyclable of materials. High-quality metal can be made from recovered metals and used time and again. In the UK, metal recycling is a well established, £4 billion to £5 billion industry. Recovering 15 million...

It is a pleasure to have you in the Chair, Mr. Chope. Metal is the most recyclable of materials. High-quality metal can be made from recovered metals and used time and again. In the UK, metal recycling is a well established, £4 billion to £5 billion industry. Recovering 15 million...

The promise of a discussion of the millennium development goals at the June Council sounds somewhat weak. Will the Prime Minister undertake that between now and June, UKREP—the United Kingdom Representative Office—and No. 10 will work with colleagues elsewhere in the EU to try to ensure that at the June...

The promise of a discussion of the millennium development goals at the June Council sounds somewhat weak. Will the Prime Minister undertake that between now and June, UKREP—the United Kingdom Representative Office—and No. 10 will work with colleagues elsewhere in the EU to try to ensure that at the June...

It is not for me to challenge the Chair, Mr. Benton, but may I draw your attention to the report? I hope that you have a copy of it. Conclusions 48 to 52 all refer to Hong Kong. While there is no doubt about ““one country, two systems””, Hong Kong...

It is not for me to challenge the Chair, Mr. Benton, but may I draw your attention to the report? I hope that you have a copy of it. Conclusions 48 to 52 all refer to Hong Kong. While there is no doubt about ““one country, two systems””, Hong Kong...

Excellent. The Minister always makes a fearful dragon, as I am sure those in the parliamentary Labour party remember from his days as party chairman. I repeat that 2007 is notable because it is 10 years since Hong Kong returned to China. I cannot resist observing that when history comes...

Excellent. The Minister always makes a fearful dragon, as I am sure those in the parliamentary Labour party remember from his days as party chairman. I repeat that 2007 is notable because it is 10 years since Hong Kong returned to China. I cannot resist observing that when history comes...

We have heard several thoughtful speeches on the Committee’s interesting report. For reasons that I shall make clear in a moment, I intend to speak mostly about Hong Kong. The speeches of the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Pope) and those who spoke before him flagged up the clear challenge...

We have heard several thoughtful speeches on the Committee’s interesting report. For reasons that I shall make clear in a moment, I intend to speak mostly about Hong Kong. The speeches of the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Pope) and those who spoke before him flagged up the clear challenge...

I will of course bear your remarks in mind, Mr. Benton, but I make this observation, which needs to go on the record: having chaired the International Development Committee in the previous Parliament, I had always understood that in debates on Select Committee reports, anything in the report was within...

I will of course bear your remarks in mind, Mr. Benton, but I make this observation, which needs to go on the record: having chaired the International Development Committee in the previous Parliament, I had always understood that in debates on Select Committee reports, anything in the report was within...