§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What preparatory arrangements they are making for the Habitat II Conference in Turkey in June; who is the lead Minister; what are their policy priorities for the conference; and what machinery for follow-up they favour.
Lord LucasWe are taking an active part in the preparations for the United Nations' Conference on Human Settlements.
The Department of the Environment has co-ordinated the preparation of the UK's national report for the conference and is working closely with a wide range of organisations (local government, non-governmental and professional) through the UK National Council for Habitat II. The Secretary of State for the Environment, who is a member of the UN Secretary-General's International Advisory Group on Habitat, will lead the British delegation and will attend the high level segment of the conference.
The Government's policy priorities are to promote internationally UK ideas, policies and best practice and use the conference to raise international and national awareness of the means to achieve sustainable settlement development.
The follow-up process will need to be discussed at the highest level within the UN in the light of the conference conclusions.