§ Mrs. Helen ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the DTI/Defra Joint Environmental Markets Unit is consulted when her Department carries out regulatory impact assessments of new environmental protection measures to ensure that benefits of the measures to the UK(a) environmental technology and (b) services industry are included. [140074]
§ Mr. TimmsRegulatory impact assessments (RIAs) of new environmental protection measures are undertaken in accordance with the Cabinet Office Guidelines—"Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact1424W Assessment". Among other things, this says RIAs should take account of the potential dynamic benefits of regulations and an assessment of all the business sectors affected—both positively and negatively. As part of this process, policy-makers consult with relevant stakeholders, including where appropriate representatives of the environmental goods and services industry who will then have the opportunity to make the case for the benefits. Like other parts of Government with an interest, the Joint DTI/Defra Environmental Markets Unit will contribute as appropriate and as part of the policy-making process within Government.