§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" is currently that used by Government departments undertaking environmental appraisals. [29022]
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§ Mr. MeacherYes, the guidance in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" still applies, though further guidance is being prepared in the light of the July 1997 KPMG report. This report was commissioned by the last Administration to gauge how far they were meeting their commitment to assess the potential environmental impact of new policy proposals; it showed that more needed to be done to ensure that policies were systematically considered.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will shortly be issuing Policy Guidance for non-specialist staff across Government, explaining in relatively simple terms when and how to carry out an environmental appraisal.
The Department is also working on further technical guidance for appraisal specialists, in co-operation with the Government Group on Environmental Costs and Benefits. A contract for a scoping study has been awarded to Dr. David Pearce, who is due to report in the Spring. This work will inform decisions on the nature and format of new guidance scheduled for the Autumn.