§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to ensure that environmental impact assessments are applied to new agricultural plans and policies, including the whole of the common agricultural policy.
§ Mr. CurryThe Government do not believe that formal environmental impact assessment is appropriate or practicable for policies and plans. This would introduce onerous, over-elaborate and inflexible legal procedures which would seriously complicate and delay decision-making processes. The Government have, therefore, adopted a more effective and practicable approach.
Guidelines for Government Departments to ensure that the environmental implications policies and plans are properly addressed as part of the decision-making process were published by the Department of the Environment in 1991. A copy of this publication, "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" is available in the Library of the House. All Departments, including this one, follow these guidelines in respect of their policies and plans.
We are also determined to ensure that environmental protection is made an integral part of the common agricultural policy. In response to my right hon. Friend the Minister's insistence on this point, the Agriculture Council at its meeting in May made a specific declaration calling on the Commission to make early proposals to this effect. We will be seeking to ensure that progress is made during the United Kingdom presidency.