To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many plasma television screens have been purchased by her Department and its agencies, and at what cost, in the last 24 months. (191077)

During the last year the Department for Transport and its agencies purchased, for official purposes, 27 plasma television screens at a cost of £30,990.

This cost figure excludes spend on seven plasma television screens that were purchased as part of a package of conference room equipment—for the enhancement of videoconference facilities—as costs were aggregated with associated items and cannot be separated out.

All items are used for official purposes and as well as videoconferencing use, the screens are also used for training purposes and for the provision of information to members of the public. In many cases the screens do not contain any television links.

Data are not available on purchases undertaken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as spend is recorded via a generic code within their accounting systems and not separately itemised.