Vol. 510 No. 6
289 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to allocate extra resources to the EPA for additional staff in view of its inability to respond to requests to information relating to IPC licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20667/99]
I am advised by the Environmental Protection Agency that there is no undue delay on its part in providing information on integrated pollution control licences. The orderly build-up of the EPA organisation is ongoing, taking account of its wide ranging responsibilities and practical experience to date in administering functions such as IPC licensing. As part of that process, the EPA has recently been given sanction for an additional 49 posts, to be filled over the period 2000-02. These new posts will bring the EPA staff complement, including the five directors, to 233. The abridged estimates for public services in 2000, published last week, include a provision of £12.4 million for the EPA; this is an increase of 42 per cent on 1999 and will cover, inter alia, the cost next year for the EPA of additional staff, wider responsibilities and expansion of laboratory services.
