HC Deb 19 April 2004 vol 420 cc140-1W
Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work her Department's Greer Minister has undertaken in an official capacity in the last three months. [165654]

Mr. Morley

My noble Friend, the Lord Whitty, is Defra's Green Minister and, as part of this role, is a member of the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers. I chair the Sub-Committee. However, it has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Sustainable development is the overarching aim of Defra. Therefore, the work of all Defra's Ministers, including the Green Minister, contributes to this aim. Consequently, it is not possible to separate the role of the Green Minister from Lord Whitty's other work over the last three months.

An important piece of work within the Department over the last year has been the review of the 1999 UK Strategy on Sustainable Development. This work is culminating in a consultation on a new strategy which is to be launched at an event on 21 April 2004.

Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings her Department's Green Minister has attended in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [165655]

Mr. Morley

My noble Friend, the Lord Whitty, is Defra's Green Minister and, as part of this role, is a member of the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers. I chair the Sub-Committee. However, it has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

With regard to other meetings attended over the last 12 months, sustainable development is the overarching aim of Defra. Meetings attended by Lord Whitty over the last 12 months, whether or in his capacity as Green Minister, contribute to this aim. Therefore, it is not possible to differentiate from meetings attended in the official capacity as Green Minister or in other roles.

Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the meetings at which a representative of her Department was present regarding the delivery of sustainable development across Government as co-ordinated by the Ministerial Sub-committee of Green Ministers. [165656]

Mr. Morley

My noble Friend, the Lord Whitty, is a member of the Ministerial Sub-committee of Green Ministers. However, it has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

There are many meetings held to take forward the business of sustainable development at which officials are present. It would take disproportionate resources to gather this information from across the Department.