To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her Answer of 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 904W, on Government Offices for the Regions: Finance, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of managing centrally each Government Office’s estates budget. (192097)

The total central cost of managing the GO estate is estimated at £1.2 million, which covers the annual pay costs of the property asset management team.

The Government offices are funded by contributions from 10 sponsor Departments and the above costs are therefore not solely provided by CLG. The proportion of total spending provided by CLG is c.40 per cent. of the total, thus the CLG contribution to the cost of managing the network estates budget is £480,000.