To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when her Department began to measure its carbon emissions; what the volume of those emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when her Department started to offset those emissions; what the cost is expected to be of offsetting her Department’s emissions in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement. (116381)

My Department has been monitoring and reporting on carbon emissions since 1999, the last periods figures for travel and building emissions can be found at:

www.sd-commission.org.uk/watchdog/

My Department started to offset emissions for air travel from April 2006, figures for the first year’s operation are still being calculated, and this exercise will be extended in line with the cross-Government target for central office estate to be carbon neutral by 2012.