asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on office furniture, carpets and curtains and office decorating in each of the last five years.

Prior to 1 April 1983 when the Property Repayment Service was introduced, this expenditure was borne centrally by the Property Services Agency. Expenditure since 1 April 1983 is as follows:

(£ thousand)
	1983–84	1984–85	*1985–86
Office furniture and curtains	41	208	60
Carpets	14	68	9
* Up to 30 September 1985.

Office decorating is carried out by the Property Services Agency as part of the maintenance service; separate figures are not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.