§ Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the last meeting of Green Ministers took place; what was discussed; and which departments were represented by(a) Ministers and (b) officials. [131071]
§ Mr. MeacherGreen Ministers held their second meeting of this year on 6 July. We discussed progress on integrating the environment into policy and the feasibility of reporting on transport emissions on the Government Estate. The Green Minister for the Department of International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes), spoke about the sustainable development priority (within the Government's National Strategy) of
working with others to achieve sustainable development internationally630W and the Green Minister for the Department of Trade and Industry, the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce, outlined progress on DTI's Sustainable Development Strategy.The Committee also reviewed plans for a pilot on the public procurement of paper goods, including recycled paper, as announced in the Waste Strategy 2000 and considered the format for the 2nd Green Ministers' Report due to be published in the autumn. Support was also given to a proposal to share experience between departments on the implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), which should help spread good practice on implementing and certifying EMSs across the Government Estate.
The next meeting will be held on 2 November 2000.
The departments represented by Ministers were: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Department of Health; Department for International Development; Law Officers' Departments; Lord Chancellor's Department and Department of Trade and Industry. Those represented by officials were: Chancellor's Departments, Home Office and Department of Social Security. The Whips Office was also represented.