§ Mr. HoramTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the Department's24W policies have been screened for their environmental impact since June 2001; how many environmental appraisals have been conducted, and on what policy issues; and what information has been published about these screenings and appraisals. [124718]
§ Estelle MorrisEnvironmental impact screening is undertaken as an integral part of the policy making process and separate records are not maintained.
In respect of legislation, DCMS complies with guidelines by compiling Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) for proposals that have an impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector. RIAs include details of the obvious costs, risks and benefits of the proposal but also the wider economic, social and environmental impacts. There is no separate section within an RIA specifically for environmental impacts, but where a proposal has an impact on the environment, it should be set out in the RIA. The impact will usually be included in the analysis of the costs and benefits of the proposal, or may be covered in the unintended consequences section.