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Departmental Computers

Volume 479: debated on Monday 1 September 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has issued guidance to staff in her Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if she will make a statement. (208168)

The Core Home Office Security Operating Procedures, (which all users are automatically directed to read every six months) contain an instruction to “shut down and power off” at the end of each working day.

Bi-weekly notices on UKBA Horizon include the same instruction and that printers should be switched off too.

A Home Office Global notice, issued on 23 November 2007, reminds staff about saving energy by switching off equipment at the end of each day, including PCs, copiers, printers, lights, heaters and coolers.

A Home Office Today (HOT) news story on 27 September 2007 gave examples of CO2 savings that could be achieved by switching off various pieces of equipment.

On the Home Office Horizon site, there is a link dedicated to the Sustainable Development team, which advises on switching off, as well as promoting the Carbon Trust.