To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, on 15 June (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 18W) on departmental procurement, how much was spent on Action Treasure Hunts Ltd by Communities and Local Government in 2008–09; what was the purpose of the expenditure; which division of the department participated in the treasure hunts; and in what location the treasure hunts took place. [HL6037]

Action Treasure Hunts Ltd was contracted by the department to provide a training event in Brighton for the Local Governance Research Unit in June 2008. The purpose of the event was to improve the unit's effectiveness and team working capability in line with the department's commitment to encourage collaborative working. The total cost for the 12 staff involved was £1,410 (including VAT). Follow-up work embedded the lessons learnt during the event about office practices and planning.