HC Deb 15 June 1992 vol 209 c388W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who is the Minister responsible for considering the environmental implications of all of his Department's policies; when that person was appointed; what actions his Department has taken since the appointment of a responsible Minister; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Widdecombe

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Lord Henley, was appointed the Department's environmental Minister in September 1990.

The Department is committed to making the fullest possible contribution to achieving the aims of the environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance". This includes having in place by the end of 1992 a departmental "environmental housekeeping" strategy.

The strategy statement, currently in preparation, will set out the Department's policy for the use of its resources, designed to ensure that full account is taken of the needs of the environment.

The Department is participating in the Government's campaign to reduce their energy consumption by 15 per cent. over the five years 1991 to 1996. In doing so we will reduce the Department's CO2 production from the 1990–91 calculated figure of 202,000 tonnes. A total of £600,000 has been made available for investing in energy efficiency measures during 1992–93. This will enable offices to introduce energy and water saving devices. We are currently preparing departmental publicity about the need to conserve water. An article covering environmental issues appeared in the February 1992 edition of the DSS quarterly journal.

We are committed to ensuring that our purchasing activities take environmental considerations fully into account. To this end we will promote the use of "environmentally friendly" materials, processes and products in the goods and services we purchase.

We will continue to encourage more economical and effective use of paper in the Department and the use of recycled paper products where practicable and cost effective.

It is the Department's policy to purchase only diesel vehicles and to fit remaining petrol vehicles with catalytic convertors.