§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health who his Department's green minister is; when they(a) have attended and (b) plan to attend meetings of the Green Ministers' Committee; what the outcomes of meetings were for his Department's activities; and if he will make a statement. [65989]
§ Ms BlearsI am the Department's Green Minister. I took up my post on 10 June 2002 and I am scheduled to my first Green Ministers' Committee meeting on 15 July 2002.
The Department's previous Green Minister my hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), regularly attended all Green Ministers' Committee meetings.
The Department takes a close interest in all Green Ministers' Committee discussions and takes action where appropriate to implement decisions or set work in train. For example, climate change adaptation was considered by Green Ministers' Committee in March 2002. Although the Department is not the lead Department on this issue, it does have an important role in assessing the likely impact on 926W health of climate change. The Department's report "Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK" has been circulated widely for comment and is due to be published in August. Also discussed at the March meeting of Green Ministers' Committee was target setting for the Government Estate in respect of environmental management systems (EMS). The Department is implementing EMS across its estate as appropriate.