§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the President of the Council what mechanisms have been established since 1 May to ensure that the environmental implications of new legislation are considered before being presented to Parliament. [25909]
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorThe Government are committed to integrating environmental considerations into decision-making at all levels across Government. Thus the policy on which any new legislation is based takes into352W account environmental considerations. Proposals for new legislation have to include details of significant costs or benefits to the environment. Since 1 May 1997, the Government have set up a Cabinet Committee on the Environment, a network of Green Ministers and a Sustainable Development Unit within the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The House has also agreed to the Government's proposal to establish a select committee on Environmental Audit, which met for the first time on 25 November 1997.