§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with co-ordination of Government policy on forestry and deforestation; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI am satisfied that the arrangements for the co-ordination of Government policy on forestry and deforestation are working well.
In addition to the normal day-to-day contacts between Departments, an interdepartmental steering group for forestry was set up in 1990. This keeps under review the development and implementation of forestry and related environmental policies in Great Britain to ensure that they remain complementary.
The interdepartmental working group on forestry issues relating to the UN Conference on Environment and Development which was established in the run-up to the Rio summit is being continued. This will ensure that our post-Rio policies relating to forests, including deforestation, are effectively integrated.