To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department’s agencies spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997. (182445)

DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2006 and 2007, core-DEFRA did not produce physical Christmas cards opting instead for a selection of e-greetings cards chosen following an internal design competition and made available for all staff to use. Accordingly, no postage costs were incurred.