§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of the Brundtland report "Our Common Future", he will consider publishing an annual report on how Government policies, programmes and spending are being redirected towards global sustainable development.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Prime Minister's foreword to the United Kingdom's response to the Brundtland report, published in July, stated that Government Departments had been invited to examine their policies in the light of the report's recommendations. Promoting sustainable development on a global scale must be achieved through concerted action by the entire international community. The Government are not persuaded that publishing an annual report would be the best way to make progress. The United Kingdom is already taking a leading role within organisations such as the United Nations and OECD to ensure that the main thrust of the report's conclusions is integrated into their activities.