Q1.  WHEN DOES DEFRA EXPECT TO HAVE INCORPORATED ITS WSSD COMMITMENTS INTO ITS OWN DELIVERY PLANS? (ORAL EVIDENCE Q251)

(a)  How are other departments progressing with this task? Have any already produced revised delivery plans—if so which ones?

(b)  Has any cross-departmental deadline been established for the revision of delivery plans to take account of WSSD commitments?

  Defra has lead responsiblity for six of the main commitments arising from WSSD—oceans, fisheries, agriculture, biodiversity, chemicals and sustainable consumption and production patterns (SCP). My officials are currently integrating our commitments into the existing delivery plans, and where necessary establishing new ones which I would expect to be integrated into the system at the next spending review. The intention is to produce these plans by July 2003.

  I have agreement from colleagues across Whitehall that they will, where necessary, translate WSSD commitments into their delivery plans, and several departments are exploring the possibility of establishing joint targets and delivery plans. Although no cross departmental deadline has been established, I expect to be able to announce further progress later this year.

Q2.  CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT DEFRA HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY SPECIFIC JOHANNESBURG FOLLOW-UP WORK RELATING TO THE WORK OF DFES? (Q256)

  Defra and DfES have not identified any follow-up work as priorities in the "main commitments" for the Government as outlined in the Annex to the Memorandum sent to the Committee in February. However, the JPOI does contain some commitments, predominantly on a UN Decade for Sustainable Development Education.

  The UK Government considers education critical for promoting sustainable development. DfES is considering how best to deliver the commitments at a national level. At WSSD we agreed not only to take action at home, but also to encourage improved access to education and support research, public awareness programmes and developmental institutions in developing countries. Action to take forward these agreements will be undertaken not by DfES, but through the work of other Government departments such as DFID and FCO.

  The UK is also involved in a number of partnerships to promote education, capacity building and participation in sustainable development. For example, the CETISA (Centres of Excellence for Technological Innovation and Sustainability in Southern Africa) partnership, funded by the UK Government, brings together southern and northern universities, governments and civil society groups and aims to develop education and training in technology in Southern Africa.

  Further, through our participation in exchange programmes, such as LEAD International, the UK Government actively facilitates the sharing of expertise and promotes capacity building with students, researchers and other experts from developing countries.

Q3.  WHAT KEY CHANGES IN CURRENT UN MACHINERY, PARTICULARLY RELATING TO UNEP AND THE CSD, WILL THE UK BE ADVOCATING AT THE UN CSD11 MEETING AT THE END OF APRIL/EARLY MAY? (QQ 203-204)

  UK Government officials attended the eleventh session of the Commission on Sustaninable Development in New York, 28 April-9 May. I took part in the High Level Ministerial Segment (29-30 April). The UK, through the EU, pushed for reform of CSD, so that it can more effectively review and monitor progress towards sustainable development, catalyse the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and ensure that corrective action is taken to overcome barriers.

  In future CSD will organise itself into 2-year action-orientated implementation cycles: the first "review" year will look at progress on the (JPOI), concentrating on a series of thematic clusters; and in the second "policy" year CSD will consider what corrective action needs to be taken to keep on track to meet the JPOI commitments. A seven cycle work programme was agreed where the main topics in the thematic clusters were as follows; water and sanitation; energy for sustainable development; agriculture and rural development; sustainable consumption and production; fragile ecosystems (forests, biodiversity etc); oceans and fisheries; and an overall review of progress.

  We were clear that CSD should remain a high-level policy forum on sustainable development, with increased and active participation of Ministers with a variety of portfolios. We also worked hard to deliver the WSSD commitment on enhanced participation of major groups and civil society in CSD.

  We stressed the need for co-operation between the CSD Bureau and the Bureaux of other functional commissions, particularly ECOSOC, other UN Agencies and Programmes, including UNEP and UNDP, as well as with UN Regional Commissions. CSD11 acknowledged the importance of integrated, coherent and effective follow up of of the major UN conferences, building on the discussions and recommendations arising from the Ad Hoc Working Group on Integrated Conference Follow Up.

  The UNEP work programme and funding were agreed at the UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi in February, which UK officials attended. Micheal Meacher headed the UK delegation.

Q4.  WHAT DISCUSSIONS, IF ANY, HAS DEFRA HAD WITH THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE (NAO) ABOUT HOW UK PROGRESS AGAINST WSSD COMMITMENTS MIGHT BE AUDITED AND REVIEWED? (Q202) [THE NAO HAS AUTHORED A DRAFT PAPER ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS (INTOSAI) WHICH IS LIKELY TO FORM THE BASIS OF GUIDANCE FOR AUDIT INSTITUTIONS AND HELP TO IDENTIFY CRITERIA AGAINST WHICH PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE JOHANNESBURG PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION MIGHT BE ASSESSED.]

  The UK Government's approach for delivering and monitoring progress against WSSD commitments has been to work to integrate our commitments into our delivery plans and, where necessry, establish new ones. Reviewing, reporting, and being held to account, on progress with the delivery of sustainable development objectives and actions will continue to be part of each relevant department's relations with the Treasury, the public, and Parliament.

  My officials are aware of the work on sustainable development alreadly undertaken by the environmental auditing working group of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), of which the National Audit Office is a member. The Group's current project work, initiated by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, the Chair of the Group, to take forward this work and look at how performance against the Plan of Implementation might be assessed, is at an early stage. My officials will keep in touch with those in the National Audit Office as this work develops.

Q5.  HAS THE TIME-LIMITED TASK FORCE, REFERRED TO IN PARA 47 OF THE DEFRA MEMORANDUM TO THE COMMITTEE, BEEN ESTABLISHED? IF NOT, WHEN IS THIS LIKELY TO HAPPEN? (QQ218-223)

(a)  Has its specific time-limited period been agreed yet? If so, what is it?

  The Sustainable Development Task Force was established in April, and held its first meeting on 8 May. The Task Force will hold two to four meetings a year until publication of the revised sustainable development strategy, scheduled for 2005.

Q6.  DOES DEFRA STILL EXPECT TO PUBLISH A CONSULTATION DOCUMENT RELATING TO THE UK PROGRAME OF ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION (AS REQUIRED BY THE JOHANNESBURG PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION) IN SUMMER 2003? [FURTHER TO THE DISCUSSION OF QQ 292-299 AND DEFRA SUPPLEMENTARY MEMORANDUM].

(a)  Has a cross-departmental working group been established to prepare this? If not, how is cross-departmental input being sought/co-ordinated?

  Good progress has been made since February in developing the UK strategy for sustainable consumption and production and we continue to work towards a publication date of early Summer 2003. The role of stakeholders is an important element in this work and my department continues to seek the views of a wide range of interests, including those of other departments and the Devolved Administrations. Input from external groups such as the Sustainable Development Commission and the Government's advisory committees ACBE and ACCPE is also being sought.

  An Inter Departmental Steering Group, co-chaired by Defra and DTI, was convened in late February to oversee the development of the strategy; this group will meet on a regular basis to monitor progress.

  Following its publication, we envisage holding a programme of events and dialogue on specific aspects of implementation which will further inform the UK strategy.

May 2003