Supplementary letter from the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Chairman of the
Committee
Response to specific questions from the Environmental
Committee following DEFRA's oral evidence session, 21 July 2004.
In your letter of 28 July you asked for some
supplementary information in connection with the above Inquiry.
The questions posed by the Committee and the Department's response
to these is set out below.
1. You mention your involvement in the housing
debate through MISC22. Can you tell us how often the Committee
has met in the last year and who was present?
It is established practice under successive
administrations, as reflected in the Ministerial Code and under
Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government
Information, not to disclose information relating to the proceedings
of the Cabinet and its committees.
2. The remit of MISC22 is stated as:
"To consider how far and on what timescale
to seek to develop the Thames Gateway in particular to consider
the requirements and the funding implications for transport infrastructure
and other key public services."
We are not clear as to how this Committee influences
issues of co-ordinating housing and sustainable development policies
at a national level, particularly in relation to environmental
protection, and would like further clarification.
The Prime Minister decided that MISC22 committee,
which he chairs, will take forward the important work on housing
growth and the Barker Review. MISC22 has already been very successful
at getting work on the Thames Gateway and the other South East
Growth Areas underway. Part of this work was to secure the building
of 200,000 new homes. Given the experience of this committee in
dealing with housing growth issues, the Prime Minister decided
that this was the most appropriate committee to oversee the Government's
policies on housing growth and sustainable communities across
England. The Committee will continue to deal with the South East
Growth Areas. The committee's terms of reference are:
"To consider issues arising from delivering
an improved housing supply in England within the context of creating
sustainable communities."
3. Are there any cross-departmental discussions,
through ministers or officials, taking place regarding housing
(other than MISC22) which DEFRA is involved in?
ODPM leads on housing policy. The Interdepartmental
Working Group on Sustainable Communities, chaired by ODPM, meets
regularly. A Technical Group has also been established at official
level to address issues related to the Government's response to
the Barker Report. Defra is a member of this group which will
meet for in September for the first time. Ad Hoc meetings on specific
housing-related issues are held from time to time, as and when
requested by Defra or other Departments.
4. What work is being considered by yourselves
and other Departments, following the Entec Report, to determine
the environmental impacts of increasing housing supply? Will this
include determining the environmental impacts of the Sustainable
Communities Plan as it currently stands? If not, why not?
Defra and ODPM are currently considering the terms
of reference for a joint research project into the implications
of additional housing supply for sustainable communities. The
Pilot Study for this research will take place in October 2004.
I hope the Committee finds this further information
helpful.
September 2004
| 
