§ Tony WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to involve(a) non-governmental organisations and (b) hon. Members in the (i) preparations for and (ii) attendance at Rio+10 Conference in Johannesburg. [36502]
§ Mr. MeacherA dedicated team within DEFRA has been established to co-ordinate domestic preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). They are working closely with colleagues from other Government Departments to raise awareness of the summit across civil society, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as other organisations and the public more generally. We are working with NGOs by: supporting key umbrella organisations such as UNED-UK and the Environment and Development Group of the BOND Network (British Overseas NGOs for Development) working in partnership with NGOs, for example WWF on the "Our World Project"; including NGOs in the official UK delegation to the UN preparatory meetings; and establishing a wide stakeholder group to share information on preparations for WSSD.
1362WMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to all MPs in January informing them of the summit and suggesting how they might get involved. The Environmental Audit Committee are also conducting an inquiry into the UK preparations for the summit, at which the Secretary of State will give evidence on 20 March.
The decision on who will be part of the UK delegation for the summit will rest with the Prime Minister and no decisions have yet been made. But as with previous events of this type we will want a balance of interests represented.