Chapter 13: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Aim
Sustainable development, which means a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come, including: a better environment at home and internationally, and sustainable use of natural resources;
- economic prosperity through sustainable farming, fishing, food, water and other industries that meet consumers' requirements; and
- thriving economies and communities in rural areas and a countryside for all to enjoy.
Objectives and performance targets
1. Promote sustainable development across Government and the country as a whole as measured by achieving positive trends in the Government's headline indicators of sustainable development.
Objective I: protect and improve the rural, urban, marine and global environment, and lead integration of these with other policies across Government and internationally.
2. Improve the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, including through the use of energy saving technologies, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% from 1990 levels and moving towards a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.
3. Care for our natural heritage, make the countryside attractive and enjoyable for all, and preserve biological diversity by: reversing the long-term decline in the number of farmland birds by 2020, as measured annually against underlying trends;
- bringing into favourable condition by 2010 95% of all nationally important wildlife sites; and
- opening up public access to mountain, moor, heath and down and registered common land by the end of 2005.
Objective II: enhance opportunity and tackle social exclusion in rural areas.
4. Reduce the gap in productivity between the least well performing quartile of rural areas and the English median by 2006, and improve the accessibility of services for rural people.
Objective III: promote a sustainable, competitive and safe food supply chain which meets consumers' requirements.
Objective IV: promote sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming through domestic and international actions.
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5. Deliver more customer-focused, competitive and sustainable food and farming as measured by the increase in agriculture's gross value added per person excluding support payments; and secure CAP reforms that reduce production-linked support, enabling enhanced EU funding for environmental conservation and rural development.
Objective V: promote sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally.
6. Enable 25% of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2005-06.
7. Reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households by improving the energy efficiency of 600,000 homes between 2001 and 2004.
Objective VI: protect the public's interest in relation to environmental impacts and health, and ensure high standards of animal health and welfare.
8. Improve air quality by meeting our National Air Quality Strategy objectives for carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particles, sulphur dioxide, benzene and 1-3 butadiene. Joint target with DfT
9. Protect public health and ensure high standards of animal welfare by reducing:
- the annual incidence of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to less than 30 cases by 2006; and
- the time taken to clear up cases of poor welfare in farmed animals by 5% by March 2004.
Value for Money
10. Achieve a reduction of 10% of the unit cost of administering CAP payments by 2004-05 and an increase to 95% electronic service delivery capability for such payments by 31 March 2005.
Who is responsible for delivery?
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for the delivery of this PSA. The Secretary of State for Transport is jointly responsible for the delivery of
target 8. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is jointly responsible for the delivery of target 2.
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