§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the outcome of the meeting with Green Ministers. [61128]
§ Mr. MeacherGreen Ministers met on 18 November to discuss how to deliver the Greening Government Agenda. The meeting discussed action arising from the Government's response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Second Report on the Greening Government Initiative. We noted particularly that the Deputy Prime Minister had asked Green Ministers to consider and report to the Cabinet Committee on the Environment (ENV) on how far sustainable development can be incorporated into the remit of all existing Departments and their Non-Departmental Public Bodies. Each Green Minister confirmed that they were reviewing the position in their own Department, and would report back to the next Green Ministers' meeting early in 1999.
Green Ministers went on to discuss progress in integrating the environment into policies and operations. We agreed to establish a working group to consider the scope and format of future Green Ministers' reports to ENV, and the first published report on the activities of Green Ministers, to be produced in summer 1999.
Green Ministers' meetings normally consider one cross-cutting issue in some detail. On this occasion we discussed how to get the most from Green Transport Plans and the action that would be needed to meet the specific targets set out in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone".
The meeting ended with a preliminary discussion of the consequences for the Green Ministers' network of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Green Ministers decided to examine in more detail the membership implications of devolution and to propose future arrangements at the next meeting in February.
Twelve Green Ministers attended the meeting on 18 November; other Departments were represented by officials.