LETTERS Shades of green
Sir: So intent is Charles Clover (`The ungreening of Britain', 27 March) on laying about anyone within reach like some demented green Punch that he rarely allows argument to obtrude on the flow of his abuse. His attacks on the Prime Minis- ter and the Chancellor of Exchequer are as unworthy as they are ill-informed.
The Prime Minister's early commitment personally to attend Rio contributed signif- icantly to the success of the Earth Summit. His initiative in writing immediately after- wards to his colleagues in the G7 and the EEC ensured that action followed the talk.
As to Twyford Down, the Prime Minister was not at all involved. The Government was notified by the Commission that, on the basis of complaints from those cam- paigning against the road, there might have been a technical breach of the EIA Direc- tive. As the procedure provides, the Gov- ernment was given an opportunity to show that it had, in fact, complied with the Direc- tive's requirements. Those arguments were acepted by the Commission, who then decided there was no basis on which to mount a court action.
It is accurate, though hardly perceptive, of Mr Clover to notice that, as Secretary of State for the Environment, I must balance economic and environmental demands. As a journalist, Mr Clover is fully free to put the environment first on all occasions. I am not and I would, rightly, sacrifice public confidence were I to do so. Responsibility entails choice and, in the real world, choice must always disappoint someone. I am con- fident that this is well understood by the public if not by Mr Clover.
The excavator manufacturer given con- sent to build in the green belt is an impor- tant exporter and employer. The company alms to capture a substantial share of a Japanese-dominated world market and over 500 jobs were at stake. In this case, I judged those prospects to be more impor- tant than the protection of a small part of the North Staffordshire green belt. Mr Clover's irate disappointment at my deci- sion would have appeared less contrived had he taken the trouble to list at least some of the equally difficult occasions on which I put the environment first.
Michael Howard
Secretary of State for the Environment, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1
Previous page
