§ 28. Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she takes to integrate environmental concerns into her Department's policies. [42879]
§ Ms HewittDTI's aim is to ensure that environmental concerns are brought into the mainstream of the Department's policy-making and operational management, within the wider context of promoting sustainable development.
The effectiveness of DTI's procedures for environmental screening and appraisal of policies were reviewed last year by a member of the Foresight Environmental Appraisal Task Force and the Department's internal audit. New guidelines are being finalised which will be published on DTI's website.
DTI's Estates and Facilities Management Directorate run an environmental managements system accredited to ISO 14001 covering DTI's HQ Buildings. It incorporates monitoring, control and regular audits to ensure the continued effectiveness of the system and to track progress towards targets.