§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of the waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16417]
§ Mr. HowardMy Department is committed to using the resources entrusted to it to secure best value for money at the least possible cost to the environment. The "Home Office Green Housekeeping Strategy", published in August 1993, requires that property managers carry out an annual audit against environmental objectives which include waste management. Home Office waste management initiatives currently focus mainly on the recycling of paper, aluminium cans and toner cartridges.
Environmental guidance material promulgated to the Department's property managers has included the Environmental Agency's "Do-it-Yourself Environmental Performance Checklist", a draft of which was distributed on 9 August 1996, and the Department of the Environment's "Waste Guide", circulated on 4 November 1996.