To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the level to which the public sector is taking advantage of private sector energy efficiency management services and third-party financing for energy efficiency investment; and if he will make a statement on progress.

In taking forward the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate where Departments are working towards achieving 15 per cent. savings in their energy bills over the next five years, my Energy Efficiency Office employed an energy efficiency management services company to assist Departments in the preparation of their energy strategies. The majority of Departments continue to seek advice from Property Holdings and the Property Services Agency on energy efficiency initiatives, but a number have also commissioned advice from private sector companies.I understand that a number of Government Departments are presently considering whether third-party financing is a suitable option for their estates. I also understand that certain authorities and local authorities have entered into contracts for third-party financing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what specific measures his Department has taken to promote energy efficiency; what further measures his Department intends to take to promote energy efficiency; and by what amount and what percentage of its total energy bill his Department's energy bill has been reduced over the past year.

[pursuant to the reply, 24 January 1991, c. 276–77]: The table and explanatory footnotes show how effectively the main Government Departments used energy in their HQ type offices for the period April to September 1990.The league table and performance ratios are an important part of the Government estate campaign where all Departments are working towards achieving savings of 15 per cent. of their energy bill over the next five years.