HL Deb 03 December 2002 vol 641 cc104-6WA
Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of the 83 public consultations the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs instigated since 1 June 2001 have been responded to and acted upon [HL219]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

Information on DEFRA public consultation exercises, including responses to consultations where respondents have not requested anonymity, can be obtained from the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk.

All DEFRA public consultation exercises are responded to and acted upon in the sense that every response is thoroughly analysed and taken into account in the development of policies and Proposals. A large proportion of exercises result in proposals being changed in some way, or contribute to the development of policies or UK negotiating lines. Examples of changes made as a result of consultation include amendments to the tone and content of codes of practice, changes to draft legislation, and the withdrawal of some regulatory proposals. Our responses to some of the consultation exercises carried out this year are still under consideration.