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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on funding for environmental education projects following the wind-up of the landfill tax credit scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that there is no shortfall in funding. [211398] Mr. Morley: The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was reformed in 2003, as a result of which waste projects with an education component (categories C and CC) are no longer eligible for funding. Only a small proportion of that funding was used to support projects with a formal education basis. Certain environmental educational projects remain eligible for funding under the current scheme, for example in the biodiversity category. There was no direct replacement of the LTCS funding stream to support projects that might previously have been eligible. Projects with an environmental education component are supported by the Environmental Action Fund. Several other Defra programmes contribute to more informal modes of environmental education and awareness raising, for example £30 million over three years has been allocated to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for national and local waste awareness campaigns. Government are striving to ensure that education for sustainable development is recognised as part of the core education agenda across all education and skills sectors. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Sustainable Development Commission have recruited a senior adviser on sustainable development to liaise effectively with non-governmental organisations and other Government Departments to develop partnerships and coordinate action to achieve the objectives of the Sustainable Development Action Plan. DfES, with Forum for the Future and professional organisations, has also set up the Sustainability Implementation Group to make it easier for colleges and universities to raise the profile of sustainability literacy in all curricula for post-16 professional education.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

430 c896-7W; 211398

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Education Curriculum Biodiversity Finance Environment Waste disposal Sustainable development Landfill tax credit scheme WRAP Sustainability Implementation Group

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk