Examination of Witnesses (Questions 360-362)
PAMELA TAYLOR,
RUPERT KRUGER
AND JACOB
TOMPKINS
WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2002
360. Can we turn to public consultation and
engagement, very quickly, and I think, Mr Tompkins, you told us
earlier on that there was some good practice emerging in other
countries, but really we are not off the starting-block here?
(Mr Tompkins) Interestingly, outside of Government
there is some good practice in the UK, there are examples like
the Mersey Basin Trust, the West Country Rivers Trust, there are
lots where groups of stakeholders have come together and they
are doing it themselves. But there is no overarching, co-ordinated
national programme for public involvement, unfortunately, in the
UK, and there needs to be. We do not want the first thing the
public hear about the Water Framework Directive to be a rise in
their bills, we want them to know about why we have signed up
to this, that it is a good thing and what the benefits they are
going to have are. And the water industry can do that and RSPB
can do that and others can do that, but really it needs to be
co-ordinated from the centre, and it needs to be DEFRA, they need
to set aside money and resources for proper public involvement.
(Ms Taylor) A very simple start would be to learn
the lessons. There are a number of initiatives, that Jacob has
talked about, that are taking place; in any case, you can learn
from the successes and you can learn from the failures. A simple
thing would be for DEFRA to set up a dedicated website so that
people could exchange experiences, in terms of public consultation,
what has happened and what has not happened. A very simple step,
that certainly everybody involved would benefit from and would
certainly want to be part of.
361. This is a statutory requirement, and ultimately
the Government could be taken to court if they did not do this?
(Ms Taylor) It is a statutory requirement, yes. That
is why we have suggested that below DEFRA, if you like, there
should be that national water forum, then there should be the
competent authority, the Environment Agency augmented. That is
why we would like to see the river basin district advisory board
below that, and then, right on the ground, the catchment managers
bringing the people together. And that is what we would like to
see.
Chairman
362. Thank you very much indeed, that has been
extremely helpful; and of course we did have some conversations
in Brussels last week, where we both happened to be. You did say,
I think, that you would let us have a decision-making scenario
and timetable, with some of the actors marked in. That would be
a very helpful thing for us.
(Ms Taylor) Yes, we will do that.
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed for coming.
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