§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.
§ Mr. HowardI take the lead in overseeing and developing green issues in my Department and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside has day-to-day responsibility. Staff and expenditure programmes throughout the Department are concerned with environmental issues. In the specific areas of environmental protection, countryside and water, staff posts will have increased by 12 during the current financial year—figures for next year have yet to be determined—and public expenditure provision for 1993–94 is £21 million higher than that for 1992–93.