§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to implement the Government's commitment in the Rural White Paper to protect the countryside for its own sake. [63501]
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§ Alun MichaelThe Government set out measures for protecting the countryside in chapters 9 and 10 of the Rural White Paper "Our Countryside: the future—A fair deal for rural England". In December 2002, I reported our progress on implementing the Rural White Paper in "England's Rural Future". My answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd) of 12 December 2001,Official Report, column 920W, announced publication of this document.
An explanation of how all the commitments in the Rural White Paper are being taken forward is set out in the Rural White Paper Implementation Plan which is on the Department's website at: http://defraweb/wildlife/ wildlife-countryside/index.htm. This plan will be amended from time to time to ensure it is up to date.