§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what developments have taken place in the prioritised projects on the environment contained in the technology foresight initiative reports since their publication; what new resources have been committed to these projects; and if he will make a statement. [40480]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe Department's science programmes have already identified many of the issues raised by the foresight panels and the steering group and are acting upon them.
As an example, the agriculture, natural resources and the environment foresight panel prioritised the reduction of pollution and energy use through attention to building, urban and transport design. This complements the DOE's aim of fostering sustainable development through the planning system and links with the recommendations of other panels and initiatives that are already in place, including the Secretary of State's quality initiative and the engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council programme, "Towards Sustainable Cities".
Some £40 million of DOE science funding in 1995–96, and 1996–97 are relevant to the environmental priorities identified in the technology foresight reports.
811WTechnology foresight provides an important backdrop to the development of many areas of DOE policy, feeding through into the Department's policy support science and technology programmes, and facilitating the development of links between research areas.