To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of procurement contracts (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies awarded to small businesses in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (293233)

The information requested is not held centrally by the Department and the Planning Inspectorate and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department is currently putting in place systems that will identify small and medium enterprises on its finance system which will allow this to be reported on in the future.

However the Department's other agencies, Fire Service College and Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre were able to supply the following figures: