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Written question asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 14 March 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 May 2002. It was answered by Michael Meacher (Labour) on Monday, 20 May 2002 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to strengthen the implementation of (i) the Rio Declaration, (ii) Agenda 21 and (ii) other commitments made at (A) Rio in 1992 and (B) the United Nations General Assembly Special Section in 1997. - Including ref items A Better Quality of Life (1999), Achieving a Better Quality of Life published in January 2001. This is available at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk; and Working for the Essentials of Life published in March.
Answer

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to strengthen the implementation of (i) the Rio Declaration, (ii) Agenda 21 and (iii) other commitments made at (A) Rio in 1992 and (B) the United Nations General Assembly Special Section in 1997. [44350] Mr. Meacher: On question (a), the UK's sustainable development strategy, "A Better Quality of Life" (1999), sets out the many steps that DEFRA and its predecessors have taken to implement the various Rio agreements and the outcome of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session in 1997. The Department has led the world on the elaboration of sustainable development indicators to assess progress. The Government's first annual review of progress towards sustainable development, "Achieving a Better Quality of Life", was published in January 2001. This is available at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk. We have ratified the conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification, which were products of the Rio process, and we have made particular efforts in the promotion of Local Agenda 21. Our future plans, (b), include the publication of a DEFRA sustainable development strategy and implementation of the recently published fuel poverty strategy and waste strategy. We are also implementing the outcomes on fisheries quotas from the December 2001 Fisheries Council, and the recommendations of the Independent Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food. DEFRA's formation itself underlines the Government's commitment to delivering a more sustainable development focused agenda on food, farming and rural communities. "Working for the Essentials of Life", published in March, sets out DEFRA's plans for the future.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
44350; 386 c3-4W
Session
2001-02
Subjects
Environment protection Sustainable development UN Conference on Environment and Development Rio Declaration on Environment and Development Agenda 21
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk