This Government remain committed to the principles of sustainable development. The Strategy for Sustainable Construction is a joint industry and Government initiative designed to promote real action on sustainable construction, and focuses upon the principles of sustainable development to which the Government as a whole have signed up.

In response to a BERR Select Committee commitment made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms), to publish reports on progress and hold conferences in 2009 and 2011, yesterday, the Government, jointly with industry, published the Progress Report on the Strategy for Sustainable Construction.

This Progress Report is a result of the actions of those organisations responsible as delivery bodies for the targets in the strategy a year on from its launch in June 2008.

Overall, progress has been good and encouraging at this early stage of the process. However, with some deliverables progress has been slower than envisaged in the original strategy and work is ongoing to address these. As delivery of the strategy continues, further work to build on the successes already achieved will be necessary to reach the overarching goals of the strategy.

Copies of the Progress Report will be placed in the Library of the House.