HC Deb 13 July 1998 vol 316 cc47-9W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what efforts she is making to raise awareness of environmental and sustainable issues within her Department; and if specific training will be made available to staff where appropriate. [50059]

£400 million for the Research Councils to meet the current and capital costs of new project funding in priority areas like life sciences;£100 million from the Wellcome Trust towards a new high intensity synchrotron X-ray machine which will help keep the UK at the forefront of research on the exploitation of the human genome;new arrangements to ensure that the Funding Councils and the Research Councils work closely together to deliver better value for money and transparency in the use of research funds.

The UK's output of world class scientists and cutting-edge discoveries is second to none—and a guarantee of our economic prosperity and quality of life in the 21st Century. Our greatest asset is our scientists, but they need funding for their research and tools to do it with. Years of under-investment in laboratories and equipment—and in the people themselves—have jeopardised this inheritance. This major injection of funds reverses this decline that our predecessors allowed, ensuring that we have a modern and effective science base for the new millennium—particularly in the life sciences where the UK is a world leader.

I am particularly grateful to the Wellcome Trust—the major charitable funder of scientific research in the UK—for the generous offer which has resulted in this pioneering partnership.

Mr. Battle

Like all my ministerial colleagues, I am clear about the important role that the Government's commitment to the objective of sustainable development must play in DTI's work. A range of actions has been taken to ensure that this is backed up throughout the Department, and more will be developed. This includes: circulation of copies of the recently published detailed advice on environmental appraisal to all directors and to staff at all levels, to be supported by staff training sessions; a series of seminars with prominent speakers from industry and NGOs to raise the level of understanding of sustainable development issues and the implications for our work; a Sustainable Development network throughout DTI and Government Offices to provide a focal point for two-way communication with the 50-strong Environment Directorate which provides a central contact point for advice and information to all staff on environmental issues; and a revised Green Housekeeping Guide which has recently been issued to all staff, as well as being made available on the Department's intranet, with the aim of both further increasing staff awareness of environmental issues and encouraging staff action that helps to ensure continuous improvement in the Department's environmental performance. Alongside the DTI's contribution to the revision of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, work is also underway on the development of a DTI sustainable development strategy. The DTI strategy will encompass all DTI policies and operations, including training to ensure effective implementation.