The information requested is as follows.
(a) The costs for Christmas cards over the last five years are as follows:
£ 2003 1— 2004 1— 2005 1— 2006 14,354.98 2007 4,724.72 (including BIA) 1 No information held centrally
Border and Immigration Agency Information concerning the cost of Christmas cards for previous years is not known centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
£ 2003 1— 2004 1— 2005 1,280 2006 1,030 2007 to date 1,000 1 No information held centrally
£ 2003 558.32 2004 786.14 2005 679.59 2006 578.38 2007 757.76
(b) There are no figures relating to Christmas parties—any parties attended are entirely at the cost of the staff member / individual.
(c) The costs for Christmas decorations over the last five years are as follows:
£ 2003 1— 2004 1— 2005 2 1,250 2006 2 550 2007 3 no cost 1 no information held centrally 2 at 2 Marsham street 3 at 2 Marsham street—they were provided on a complementary basis from our property services company Ecovert FM
Border and Immigration Agency / Criminal Records Bureau
Information concerning the cost of decorations to the Border and Immigration Agency and Criminal Records Bureau over the past five years is not known centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Identity and Passport Service
Spend on decorations during the last five years is unavailable but it has been a nominal amount.
The Home Office believes that marking Christmas is important. The Department does not have a central policy on the selection of Christmas trees. Arrangements for purchasing both real and artificial trees are made locally. In terms of disposal, procedures vary according to the waste contract in operation at particular buildings but at our London headquarters building in 2 Marsham street, for example, the trees are chipped and added to a composting facility for later re-use.
The Home Office believes that marking Christmas is important.
(a) Spend on Christmas Cards in 2007 is as follows:
The Home Office (including Border and Immigration Agency)—£4,724.72
Identity and Passport Service—£1,000 to date
Criminal Records Bureau—£757.76
(b) Spend on postage of Christmas cards is not separated from spend of all Home Office mail and is therefore not calculable.