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Environment Council

Volume 457: debated on Monday 5 March 2007

The Government today have issued a UK Government “Sustainable Procurement Action Plan”, which together with the HMT report on “Transforming Government Procurement” (published 23 January), provides their response to the report of the sustainable procurement task force, chaired by Sir Neville Simms.

The task force presented its report to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 June. It set out recommendations in six key areas for achieving the Government goal to be a leader in sustainable procurement in the EU by 2009. DEFRA, HM Treasury and other Government Departments have worked closely together to produce a response setting out how Government will take this forward.

The action plan sets out the Government’s ambition to achieve a low carbon resource efficient public sector and actions designed to move towards this. It focuses on delivery of the operational targets for the Government estate launched alongside the task force report on 12 June, with action focused on policies, performance frameworks and procurement practice, working with the supply-chain to provide the innovative eco-technologies and solutions that will be needed.

Copies of the UK Government “Sustainable Procurement Action Plan” have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The operational targets for the Government estate can be found on the Government sustainable development website at:

http://www.sustainabledevelopment.gov.uk/government/estates/index.htm#targets