To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish for (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 the costs relating to his Ministry's move to Nobel House under the headings (i) rent, rates,service costs, (ii) refurbishment for 3,000 square metres,(iii) removal costs for all moves, (iv) Nobel House alterations, (v) Nobel House security guarding car ramp,(vi) Eastbury House deficit, space, rent, rates, services for two floors of 600 square metres, (vii) Eastbury House refurbishment and (viii) contingencies, giving details of items covered. [34953]
[holding answer 17 March 1998]: The figures are as follows (those in italics are forecasts).
| £ | |||
| Item | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 |
| Rent, rates, service costs1 | 275,250 | 367,000 | 91,750 |
| Refurbishment2 | 253,000 | — | — |
| Removal costs (all moves)3 | 38,000 | — | — |
| Nobel House—alterations3 | 240,000 | — | — |
| Nobel House—security guarding car ramp4 | — | — | — |
| Eastbury House—"deficit" space, rent, rates service (two floors— 600m2)5 | 97,500 | 195,000 | 195,000 |
| Eastbury House—refurbishment5 | 92,000 | — | — |
| Contingencies6 | 54,000 | — | — |
| Total | 1,049,750 | 562,000 | 286,750 |
| 1The Department's Chief Scientist's Group (CSG) will stay in the decant building, St. Christopher House for a further year until MAFF's new Westminster building is ready in the summer of 1999. An earlier return to Whitehall Place early in 1998 would have meant a double move. The vacated space in Whitehall Place is being utilised by units servicing the Phillips Inquiry into BSE and other policy initiatives. | |||
| Much of the charge for the decant building is an "opportunity cost rent". Whilst it is an additional cost to the Department, it largely substitutes for other costs previously borne elsewhere by the Exchequer. The only additional costs to the Exchequer from MAFF's occupancy are those for utilities and other office services. | |||
| 2 In all £369,000 was spent to refurbish 3,000m2 in St. Christopher House. Of this, £116,000 provided for staff displaced from Ergon House as a result of the co-location of the Joint Food Standards and Safety Group (JFSSG) in preparation for the establishment of the Foods Standards Agency. | |||
| 3 Actual costs were lower than initial estimates. | |||
| 4 No extra security measures were required for Nobel House. | |||
| 5 Extra space was taken in Eastbury House as a result of the co-location of JFSSG (see note 2 above), and is therefore not considered a direct consequence of the Secretariat move to Nobel House. | |||
| 6 Covers furniture and carpets for Ministers. | |||
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Nobel House move contingency fund is now fully allocated; and on what items of expenditure this money has been spent. [34995]
[holding answer 17 March 1998]: The contingency budget for the move has now closed. £54,000 was spent from this for furniture and carpets for Ministers' new offices in Nobel House.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what hotel expenses were incurred by his Ministry in direct connection with the move to Nobel House. [34952]
[holding answer 17 March 1998]: None.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what items of expenditure on the MAFF estate have had to be reduced to help fund the move to Nobel House. [34993]
[holding answer 17 March 1998]: By altering priorities within the 1997–98 Non Pay Running Cost budget for building maintenance, sufficient funding was identified to help fund the move to Nobel House.