Environmental Protection Less money spent to protect environment

In 2001 a total of £8.7 billion was spent on environmental protection by industry and government. This is slightly down on the 2000 total of £8.8 billion.

The fall is mainly due to a reduction in environmental protection expenditure in manufacturing industries and utilities where £3.8 billion was spent in 2001 compared with £4.2 billion in 2000.

Between 2000 and 2001, general government expenditure increased by 5 per cent, from £4.6 billion to £4.8 billion. Expenditure in 2001 included £2.7 billion on waste management, mainly through local authorities, and £0.5 billion on nature conservation.

Only £0.2 billion was spent directly on waste water management. Overall expenditure on waste and waste water management accounted for 60 per cent of total government environmental protection expenditure. Expenditure on measures to protect the atmosphere and on climate change prevention amounted to £0.3 billion while £0.5 billion was spent on nature conservation.