To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has given local authorities guidance on carbon offsetting. (202653)

Communities and Local Government has not given advice to local authorities on carbon offsetting. However, in January 2007, DEFRA wrote to local authorities to inform them of the work it has been doing to develop a voluntary code of practice for offsetting. Government are continuing to develop this work, in the form of a voluntary quality assurance scheme.