Sustainable Development

Joan Walley
To ask the Prime Minister what mechanism exists to enable liaison between Government departments responsible for delivering sustainable development policy.

Ian Pearson
I have been asked to reply. The Government published the UK Sustainable Development Strategy “Securing the Futureonly” in March 2005, setting out a range of activities to support this vital agenda. The UK Framework for Sustainable Development, “One future—different pathsy”, also launched in March 2005, describes the shared understanding and common purpose that exists across departments and in different parts of the country.

Sustainable development is promoted and co-ordinated through a number of ministerial and official level working groups across Government.

For example, within the Cabinet there are two committees which have sustainable development issues as part of their remit: the Energy and Environment (EE) Committee and the Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development in Government (EE(SD)). The EE Committee is chaired by the Prime Minister and was established in May 2005 to develop the Government’s energy and environmental policies, to monitor the impact on sustainable development of the Government's policies, and to consider issues of climate change, security of supply and affordability of energy.

I chair the EE(SD) Sub-Committee which has the remit to improve the Government's contribution to sustainable development through the conduct of its business, including through consideration of departmental sustainable development action plans; and to report as necessary to the Energy and Environment Committee.

The Sustainable Development Commission is the Government’s independent watchdog on sustainable development, reporting to the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales. Its recently expanded role includes monitoring cross-Government and departmental progress towards sustainable development.

Details of other groups working across Government to deliver sustainable development can be found on our sustainable development website at http://www.sustainable -development.gov.uk/government/index.htm

Mr. Meacher
To ask the Prime Minister whether he had read (a) the Sustainable Development Commission's report “Is Nuclear the Answer”, dated March 2006, and (b) the Environmental Audit Committee's report “Keeping the Lights on: Nuclear, Renewables and Climate Change” HC584, dated 16 April 2006, prior to making his address to the Confederation of British Industry on 16 May.

The Prime Minister
In addition to the presentation and papers from the Energy Review, I was briefed and read widely on energy issues in preparation for the address to the CBI on 16 May. This, of course, included the Sustainable Development Commission's report and its research papers and the Environmental Audit Committee’s April report.