§ 13. Mr. BorrowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the consultations she is undertaking prior to the world summit on sustainable development. [55126]
§ Margaret BeckettDEFRA has funded UNED-UK to carry out a stakeholder consultation exercise which has involved over 350 groups representing civil society. A business adviser has been seconded to DEFRA to liaise with the business community on WSSD. We are also working through the Development and Environment Group of BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development) to exchange views with NGOs, and the Local Government International Bureau has been a member of the official UK delegation at the preparatory meetings.
§ 18. Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress in domestic and global preparations for the world summit on sustainable development. [55132]
§ Mr. MeacherPreparations for WSSD both in the UK and globally are well under way. We are currently in the process of preparing for the Ministerial-Level Preparatory Committee (known as Prepcom IV) in Indonesia on 24 May to 7 June at which I will lead the UK delegation. This meeting will continue work started at the last Prepcom on the proposed Programme of Action to deliver global sustainable development. It will also start work on the political declaration for the summit.