§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are "the more appropriate analytic techniques" referred to in Lord Caithness's Answer of 19th December 1989 (HL Deb., col. 251) for assessing the environmental consequences of economic activity; and whether it is still the case that the Treasury does not have a department responsible for conducting environmental analysis (Lord Young's Answer of 14th November 1988 (HL Deb., col. 908) and Lord Caithness's Answer 19th December 1989; and if so, where in Government the costs to the taxpayer of environmental degradation are calculated.
§ The Earl of Strathmore and KinghorneThe appropriate technique for analysing the environmental effects of economic activity will vary depending on the nature of the environmental consequences being considered. The Government are careful to balance the environmental costs and benefits of their policies, making use of the appropriate scientific and economic techniques.
The Treasury does not have a specific division responsible for conducting environmental analysis, but all divisions within the Treasury, and in particular the specialist economic advisory divisions, take environmental consequences into account where appropriate.