Letter from the Deputy Prime Minister
to the Chairman of the Committee
When Michael Meacher and I gave evidence before
the Committee today, we promised we would send to you the Treasury
guidance on the Spending Review dealing with sustainable development.
A copy is attached.
As you will see, sustainable development is
dealt with upfront in the Overview to what is a very extensive
set of guidance. Page 5 of the attached brings in sustainable
development as the first of a series of common issues and the
advice is set out immediately after the Treasury's three overarching
themes for the Review—which themselves are very much supportive
of sustainable development—are addressed.
The guidance makes clear that all departments
have a contribution to make to sustainable development and this
should be reflected in their review proposals, targets and investment
strategies. It sets out the Government's intention to demonstrate
that the Review outcomes deliver real benefits across all three
pillars of sustainable development and also gives a specific role
to Green Ministers for integrating sustainable development into
the review process in their own departments.
The guidance has been available to departments
since November. Since then officials in my Department have been
working further with their counterparts in Treasury to clarify
how review proposals should be considered in terms of their contribution
to sustainable development.
I should also take this opportunity to clarify
our discussion of how sustainable development formally fits into
the structure of the review. It is not the subject of a separate
cross-cutting review. I do not believe it would make sense to
treat it in this way; it needs to be integral to all aspects of
the full Review and not dealt with in isolation. As I have explained
it is addressed as a "common issue" for all departments
to take into account.
February 2000
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