HC Deb 13 December 1989 vol 163 cc733-4W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he will adopt to provide environmental auditing and accountability of the proposed new conservation agencies in Great Britain.

Mr. Trippier

The new conservation agencies in England, Scotland and Wales will be directly accountable to the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales, respectively for the stewardship both of their individual and joint functions.

Environmental auditing is normally understood to mean the quantification of environmental costs and benefits in the economic or development context, rather than a means of assessing the work of public agencies.