§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to incorporate the concept of inter-generational equity into decision-making within his Department in respect of policy towards environmental protection.
§ Mr. TrippierThe United Kingdom comments on the report of the world commission on environment and 161W development (known as the Bruntland report), published in July 1988, accepted the report's definition of sustainable development as development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (para 2.1). The comments also indicated that, whilst there could be no quarrel with this as a general definition, the key issues were now how to translate the concept into practice, how to measure it, and how to assess progress towards its achievement. It was concern over this point that led the Department of the Environment to commission the Pearce report which was published under the title "Blueprint for a Green Economy" in September this year. I believe that the Pearce report makes an important contribution to our understanding of the requirements for sustainable development, including the need to safeguard the well-being of future generations.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current complement of the environmental protection statistics and economics branch of his Department; whether he has plans to increase the complement; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThe environmental protection statistics and economics division was split on 1 November 1989. There are now two divisions known as the environmental protection statistics division (EPS) and the environmental protection economics division (EPE) respectively. The professional complements of the two divisions are as follows:
Environmental Protection Statistics division (EPS)
- 1 Chief statistician
- 3 Statisticians
- 1 Senior assistant statisticians.
Environmental Protection Economics division (EPE)
- 1 Senior economic adviser
- 3 Economic advisers.
The support staff consists of one higher executive officer, one executive officer, one administrative assistant and two personal secretaries.
The complement of the two divisions is under continual review in the light of new developments. However, the senior economic adviser's post was newly created with effect from 1 November and one of the economic adviser posts was transferred from another division on the same date.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last received representations advocating a free market solution to environmental problems.
§ Mr. Chris PattenI receive a wide range of representations. Recent engagements have included my address to the CBI's national conference on 20 November in which I stressed that private enterprise was essential to meeting the challenges of environmental protection.