§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the White Paper "Rural England" (Cm 3016) was(a) subject to, and (b) modified on account of an environmental appraisal using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" produced by his Department; and if he will publish the appraisal; [300]
(2) what alternative courses of action from those detailed in the White Paper "Rural England" (Cm 3016) were considered in any environmental appraisal undertaken by his Department; [301]
(3) what procedures have been put in place by his Department to monitor the environmental impacts arising from the implementation of the White Paper "Rural England" (Cm 3016). [302]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe rural White Paper "Rural England" sets out the Government's vision for the future of the countryside, looking at economic, social and environmental issues together. The White Paper was formulated in line with the Government's commitment to sustainable development.
Environmental considerations are an essential element of policy considerations and will be taken into account in following up the commitments contained within the White Paper.