§ 5. Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions in the past year the departmental green Ministers have met together.
§ Mr. AtkinsGreen Ministers have regular bilateral meetings. The last full meeting took place in October 1993, and the next one will take place in May.
§ Mr. BayleyDo the green Ministers realise that the forest sales programme is eating away at the heart of the national forest? Will they explain how their stated aim of expanding forest cover, as set out in the document "Sustainable Forestry", will be achieved if they allow private investors to buy the public forest instead of planting their own forests? When will the forest review report finally appear?
§ Mr. AtkinsThat report is currently in front of Ministers and in due course the hon. Gentleman and the House will hear the results of those deliberations.
§ Sir Donald ThompsonWill my hon. Friend the Minister explain what are green Ministers?
§ Mr. AtkinsGreen Ministers are those Ministers from various Departments who, under the tutelage of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, take various actions in their Departments to ensure that the use of materials, recycling, energy use and other matters are regularly reviewed and that the Government estate benefits in the same way as everyone else.