§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Prime Minister how many times the green Ministers nominated from each Government Department have met as a group during the past year.
§ The Prime MinisterIt is a fundamental principle of our approach to green issues that environmental considerations are taken into account in all policies and at every level. Green Ministers are charged with integrating environmental considerations into the strategy and policies of their own Departments. They have met once in the past year. Mechanisms for co-ordinating policies between Departments include the annual White Paper process and official networks. There is a separate Ministerial Committee on the Environment, EDE, to handle major cross-departmental issues.