To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is his Department’s policy to use (a) incandescent light bulbs and (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises. (173496)

A limited amount of Christmas decorations are put up each year by staff in departmental buildings. Where these decorations include festive lights these will generally have been bought in previous years and are re-used for the sake of economy. The Department does not have a policy on the type of light bulbs used in festive decorations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department’s policy is on the selection of (a) real and (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department’s festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of. (173522)

A limited amount of Christmas decorations, including trees, are put up each year by staff in departmental buildings. For reasons of economy the trees are generally artificial and can be reused over a number of years. In two departmental buildings where real trees are used, the trees are sourced from sustainable tree farms, and are recycled after use.