§ Dr. Jack CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the objectives are of the Environment Agency BRITE proposals; what effect she estimates they will have on the resources devoted to all aspects of freshwater fisheries; and if she will make a statement. [41231]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 11 March 2002]: BRITE (Better Regulation to Improve the Environment) is an internal Environment Agency reorganisation with the broad objectives of improving effectiveness of delivery, achieve regulatory consistency and integrated management of the environment. The agency expects these changes to improve the environmental outcomes from existing stakeholders by reallocating existing resources. The water resource aspects of BRITE, which include fisheries, h0ave yet to be considered by Ministers.
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the Government's response to Recommendations of the Freshwater Fisheries Review; how far the Government's position is informed by the BRITE proposals of the Environment Agency; and if she will make a statement. [41233]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 11 March 2002]: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, South (Mr. Jones) on 20 December 2000, Official Report, columns 205–08, in which I outlined the Government's response to the independent report of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group. A copy of the Government's formal response can be found in the Library.
The Government require the Environment Agency to use its resources in a cost-effective manner. Although the potential impacts of the BRITE (Better Regulation to Improve the Environment) proposals as they affect fisheries have yet to be considered by Ministers they are expected to be consistent with that overall aim.