HC Deb 16 November 1992 vol 214 cc68-9W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the President of the Board of Trade who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.

Mr. Eggar

The Department set up a new environment division in July this year dealing with green issues which reports at ministerial level through me to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. The division, which is headed by Dr. David Evans (G3), brings together staff previously in the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Energy dealing with environmental questions who currently number 65. The tasks of the division include ensuring that proper account of environmental issues is taken in the development of all Department of Trade and Industry's policies, stimulating an effective business response to environmental developments and ensuring that the Government's overall environmental policy takes proper account of the impact on business.

The division also calls on resources elsewhere in the Department of Trade and Industry for publicity and awareness activities, support for environmental technology and the carrying out of economic and other analytical studies to support the development of policy. The division's spend on these activities in 1992–93 is likely to be about £9 million. In addition, a number of other divisions whose focus is on other policy matters have staff devoted wholly or in part to environmental issues.

Forward to