HC Deb 11 November 1998 vol 319 cc193-4W
Mr. Burgon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to publish the work commissioned to follow-up the Policy Appraisal and the Environment initiative. [59642]

Mr. Meacher

DETR commissioned a report, from consultants EFTEC under the leadership of Prof. David Pearce, which is published today under the title "Review of Technical Guidance on Environmental Appraisal". This important report surveys the range of environmental appraisal guidance methodologies available internationally and points the way to the right technique for appraising different types of decisions. The report concludes that considerable guidance is available, but identifies areas where more guidance would be useful to practitioners. DETR is therefore commissioning work in these areas to make good this gap.

First, more technical guidance is needed in some areas. The Government will initiate projects with private sector contractors to provide guidance material on Undertaking Multicriteria Analysis and on Undertaking Contingent Valuation, which should be of potential use in both DETR and other Departments.

Secondly, most existing guidance relates to projects, and somewhat different techniques are needed to help decision makers screen policies and programmes for potential environmental impacts. The Government agree with this finding, and may develop further the guidance that has already been made available to staff.

The report from professor David Pearce makes a highly constructive contribution to the pursuit of better environmental appraisal in decision making. Through its analysis of existing guidance, it will be of use not just to the UK Government, but to all who want to consider the environmental impacts of decision making. The Government accept the conclusions about the areas where further work would be useful—Green Ministers are discussing the best way to address these, notably in the area of policy appraisal.

Copies of the report have been sent today to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, and placed in the House Library.