§ Julia DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to ensure that her Department's bid to the 385W forthcoming Government spending round contributes towards the UK's objectives on sustainable development. [140493]
§ Alun MichaelDefra's key principle is sustainable development which involves balancing economic, social and environmental considerations and is consistent with the wider approach of government as a whole. In Defra an Integrated Policy Appraisal (IPA) tool, which provides a systematic framework for the identification of the environmental, social and economic impacts of a policy, is actively promoted within the department. We will apply the IPA tool to our spending plans in SR04.