HL Deb 26 March 2003 vol 646 cc791-3

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the resources allocated to the Are You Doing Your Bit Campaign are sufficient to inform consumers how they can reduce their impact on the environment and climate change and to fulfil the Government's policy of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

My Lords, the Are You Doing Your Bit Campaign was a successful stage in the Government's effort to raise the general level of public awareness, but matters have been moving on from there. The Government have been developing new strategic approaches for sustainable production and consumption, within which future information initiatives will build on the general awareness fostered by the campaign, but will have a more specific focus in areas such as energy efficiency and waste reduction.

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. The campaign was very successful, and was recognised to be so. Does he then find it a particular shame that it came to an end with its funds taken away and redirected, albeit to the Rural Task Force? No new funds were found for the campaign, and consumers are now not informed of any way in which they can do their bit either to reduce CO2 emissions or their waste. All the Government's headline indicators that are failing are doing so in areas on which consumers could have an impact.

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I do not quite agree with that. The campaign was scheduled to run for a few years. It ran for a few years, and it certainly raised awareness. It did not dramatically alter behaviour. One reason for that is that information for consumers to make the positive choice on, for example, product specification, labelling and new energy efficiency measures was not in place for them to make that choice. It is on that that we are now concentrating.

Lord Barnett

My Lords, I declare an interest as a consumer and keen advocate of high economic growth. What would I need to decouple to improve that?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I would require more information than I regret to say that I have about the noble Lord's lifestyle. He could find ways, as were advocated by the campaign, of using less water and electricity and creating less waste than probably he and most of us do at the moment. The campaign was about the individual citizen's ability to change their behaviour to reflect environmental improvements. That meant that we could have economic growth with less demand on resources and less creation of pollution.

The Lord Bishop of Hereford

My Lords, is the Minister aware of the contributions made by the Churches through the eco-congregations and parish pump networks, which help people to understand and do good things about the environment? Furthermore, does he agree that one of the factors most damaging to the environment is the large number of single-person households, with their separate energy bills and car ownership? Would he agree that the best action that anyone could take, far from decoupling, is to get married and stay married? Would he be prepared to endorse the slogan, "Tie the knot and save the planet"?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the right reverend Prelate is driving me to wider issues. Household formation does have an effect on the demand on resources. Were the full teachings of the Church, in terms of "Go forth and multiply", to be pursued by the same married couples to the extent that sometimes seems to be the Church's policy, the demand on resources would be even greater. Having said that, I pay tribute to the work of the Church campaigns and, in particular, the parish pump workshops. Much alteration and improvement in behaviour and awareness can arise from local groups led by the Churches and others.

Lord Avebury

My Lords—

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy

My Lords—

Noble Lords

Cross Bench!

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy

My Lords, I think that the Minister suggested that I could do a lot to save waste. How am I to save waste when every household necessity that I buy is packaged to within an inch of its life, to such an extent that sometimes I cannot even get into it and have to seek help?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I absolutely agree. I remember that, many years ago, when I was asked what piece of legislation I would favour most I said one on packaging that meant that someone with reasonable dexterity could open a package within 30 seconds. Regrettably, that has never been adopted by the House. There has been some tightening up of packaging regulation, but packaging is certainly one contributor to waste that clearly has not been decoupled from economic growth. In fact, the reverse is true, and we have more packaging than we need. Much of that is non-biodegradable material and we need to take action on that front.

Baroness Byford

My Lords, the Minister said that the campaign had been successful, yet it has changed direction. What was not successful, and what new direction is the new campaign that has been allocated to the Rural Task Force taking?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the question of the Rural Task Force was one of rebudgeting within DEFRA in the wake of foot and mouth rather than decisions on environmental priorities. The environmental campaign was successful in raising awareness. As I said in response to the Question, what is needed is to make it easier for consumers and citizens to make the positive choices that they now know that they should make. That includes issues such as product specification, low-energy household products and better labelling of all consumer goods, so that we make the minimal energy-use choice. Awareness is there, and we need to turn it into reality.

Baroness Sharp of Guildford

My Lords, does the Minister think that the House of Lords itself is doing its bit? Would it not make it easier for the House if, for example, each room had separate waste-paper baskets, one for junk mail—noble Lords dispose of a great deal of that—and one for ordinary waste?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I suspect that the detail of that is a matter for the House authorities rather than for me. The central issue of our waste strategy is waste minimisation, which means preventing the junk mail being generated in the first place.

Baroness Whitaker

My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that we can indeed have recycling bins in our offices? In Room G-O5 there is a very good example which he can visit.

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that information, which should be made known to Members of the House. Those of us in a responsible position here have a responsibility for ensuring that our activities in government departments and in Parliament give a lead to our citizens.

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