§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the negative effects of short-term business pressures on strategic thinking and cross-departmental work co-operation. [40808]
§ Mr. GummerA review conducted in 1995 concluded that my Department should improve its strategic approach to policy development and advice, which can all too easily suffer because of short-term pressures of work. Various steps have been taken to bring about such an improvement.