Oral Answers to Questions

Edward Leigh Excerpts

Thursday 8th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

1. What steps the National Audit Office is taking to reduce the use of single-use plastics in that organisation.

[Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)]

The National Audit Office takes environmental commitments very seriously. Since 2011 it has operated an environmental management scheme certified by the International Standards Organisation, which includes setting challenging targets to reduce or eliminate waste in a number of areas. The NAO has already taken several steps to minimise the use of single-use plastics. For example, it does not use single-use plastic bottles or water cups, and encourages the use of reusable coffee cups in its staff café by offering a discount on the cost of hot drinks.

[Mr Hollobone]

Will my hon. Friend encourage the NAO to be an exemplar for all public bodies by eliminating the use of single-use plastics?

[Sir Edward Leigh]

My hon. Friend is an exemplar of an assiduous Member of Parliament, and I will certainly encourage the NAO to be an exemplar as well. Let me say in passing that the NAO’s catering team has made a deal with one of its main suppliers to collect and reuse packaging from catering deliveries. Cardboard and single-use plastics have been replaced by reusable plastic crates. Isn’t that marvellous?

The right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—