The Green Minister for the Department is the Parliamentary Secretary,
David Lock MP. He oversees the Department's commitment to sustainable
development. The Minister ensures that the Department carries out environmental
appraisals of all new policies. Although green issues arising out of the
Department's area of policy responsibility are very rare, where relevant
the Department reviews and develops environment strategies and action
plans drawing on the Model
Statement for Greening Government Operations produced by the
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). Policies
and programmes are currently assessed in line with the policy guidance
Policy
Appraisal and the Environment also published by DETR, although,
to date, no Departmental policies have been identified as having a significant
environmental impact.
Public interest cases will be treated as a priority under the legal
aid reforms. It will be possible to obtain legal aid if a case would result
in a real benefit for a significant number of people other than the applicant.
This will allow the Department to fund environmental cases that raise
wider public interest questions.
The Energy and Environment Branch of the Court Service advises on and
reviews the environmental impacts of the management and operations of
the Department. The green contact for the Department is the Court Service
Energy & Environment Manager, Martin Wittekind; he can be contacted
on 020 7210 2168.
The Department's main impact on the environment is as a consumer and
the following practices have been adopted in the pursuit of sustainable
development:
contractors tendering for the supply of goods have to provide
information about their green policy and practices, the environmental
impact of their goods and details of any harmful processes or materials
used in manufacture or disposal. This information is used to maintain
a database of approved suppliers and products
the environmental action plan pursues the maxim of reduce, re-use
and recycle
tenders are evaluated over the whole life cycle, including disposal
and recycling costs and, where appropriate, weight is given to environmental
points affecting the tender. Where no environmental conditions are
specified, environmentally friendly products are sought from those
that offer value for money
in the maintenance of the Department's existing estate, the use
of timbers from non-sustainable sources is prescribed in all new works
and where possible in renovations
the installation and maintenance of water management devices is
part of an ongoing programme in each region. The consumption of water
has fallen by 38% since 1992, and further targets for water reduction
are being considered
a review of sensitive waste collection agreements is underway, looking
at the potential for measuring the amount of, and increasing the proportion
of waste paper that goes for recycling. Targets for waste reduction
will be introduced following completion of the review
local recycling schemes are in operation in most departmental locations
where this is practicable. These schemes are encouraged as is the
use of recycled materials.
The Department is formulating a joint environmental strategy with the
Court Service, its largest Agency, and is reviewing the objectives, responsibilities,
targets and deadlines within the action plan. There are many ongoing commitments
and limited actions set out within the revised strategy. The areas covered
by the strategy are:
building procurement and construction
building maintenance, energy, water and waste management
The Department achieved a 20.1% saving in total energy consumption in
the year to 31 March 1999, compared with the 1990-91 base year. If the
weighting factor reflecting the environmental impact of electricity generation
is applied, the reduction was 8.8%; (against a target of reducing weighted
consumption by 20% against 1990-91 levels by 31 March 2000).
Contract energy management schemes are in operation at the Royal Courts
of Justice, the Department's largest site, and in each of the regions.
The contracts for managing agents require them to take a proactive approach
to the control of energy and identification of waste. Training courses
on energy management have been run for court accommodation staff in each
Circuit, and for Headquarter and regional accommodation managers.
The rolling programme of energy and environmental surveys is its third
and final year. All of the Department's buildings with responsibility
for payment of fuel and utility invoices were surveyed by March 2000,
and the plan for the next 3-year programme of surveys for the largest
energy using sites is being prepared. The specification for future comprehensive
energy and environmental surveys will include assessments of indoor air
quality, recycling schemes, and other environmental factors which affect
court staff and users such as light and noise levels.
Effective transport plans were introduced at the Headquarters buildings
of the Department and its Agencies in 1999. A further 58 offices with
over 50 staff will have plans in place in 2000.
