To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on bottled drinking water in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (313186)

The Ministry's accounting records do not specifically record expenditure on bottled water. To identify relevant expenditure would require examination of thousands of individual invoices, many held locally within the courts, prison and probation systems, and would incur disproportionate cost.

It has, however, been possible to identify expenditure on bottled water for Ministry of Justice headquarters for the first two full financial years since it was established which is as follows:

The expenditure relates to bottled water used for water coolers and dispensers. The cost includes sanitisation and maintenance of these devices. Bottle fed water dispensers are usually found in small local offices or old premises that are due to be vacated. Water dispensers are gradually being replaced by mains-fed water filtration systems across the Ministry's estate. This process is aligned with the Ministry's strategy to rationalise and modernise its national and regional estate to provide more economical, fit for purpose accommodation which is environmentally sustainable.

The Ministry no longer provides bottled water when catering for meetings or events within its headquarters buildings.