All,

Summary

You are invited to:

i) provide views on the attached descriptors and business cases by close of play Wednesday 27 June;

ii) suggest new titles for future environmental business support;

iii) view and respond to a DTI consultation on simplifying business support, at http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page40113.html and reply by email to SimplifyingBusinessSupport@dti.gov.uk by Friday 14th September 07.  Please also forward to other organisations who have an interest (business and their representatives (including social enterprises); local authorities and other public sector organisations; private, public and third sector organisations that are contracted to provide publicly funded support to business).

Background

Most of you have been closely involved in reviewing environmental business support as part of the cross-Government Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP).  For those that are less familiar with the programme, further information can be found on the website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/regulat/better/business-support/index.htm.

Under BSSP, in consultation with most of you, a future environmental business support offer has been developed:

i. Promoting Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Waste Management (PSD/BC 1) – which looks at reducing the environmental impact of business, particularly their carbon footprint, and encouraging sensitive energy usage;

ii. Protecting the Natural Environment  (PSD/BC 2) – which looks at reducing the business impact on living organisms and the environments in which they live.

Current position

One page summaries of these two offers have been produced and form part of the DTI's consultation published today.  We are also required to produce descriptors of each offer with supporting business cases and submit them to DTI by Friday 29 June. 

Descriptors

The draft descriptors attached have been amended to take account of HMT, DTI, stakeholder and policy lead comments.  The descriptor template is a prescribed BSSP format so there is no option to amend sub-headings. 

I would appreciate any final comments on the descriptors, limited to show-stopper issues as opposed to significant drafting changes.  Please could policy leads focus on the queries raised in the descriptors and provide input to statistical/financial information requested.  These descriptors are near final although they will be reviewed as a result of consultation responses.

I would also welcome suggestions for new titles (e.g. more appealing to businesses, snappier, does what it says on the tin etc). 

Promoting Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Waste Management - Product descriptor

Protecting the Natural Environment - Product descriptor

Business Cases

Specific comments welcome on:
Promoting Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Waste Management

• Do the market failure arguments stand up?
• Do the Options seem sensible - has anything been missed?

Protecting the Natural Environment

• Is there any available evidence illustrating the impact of other industries on the natural environment? The BC is rather agriculture focussed but it might be that their impact is huge compared to everything else and therefore is it sensible to concentrate on the one area?
• Are there relevant indicators from SFFS - are there any others?
• Is Option 3 feasible and what should it include - axis 2 of RDPE and RDA funding, but what else?

Promoting Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Waste Management - Business case

Protecting the Natural Environment - Business case

Thanks in advance for you assistance. 

Julie Bott
Business Support Simplification Policy Manager
Area 2B
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Tel: 020 7238 4927
email: julie.bott@defra.gsi.gov.uk