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Government: Office Equipment

Volume 718: debated on Monday 15 March 2010

Questions

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Department for International Development in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2503]

The Department for International Development (DfID) spent approximately £44,000, excluding VAT, on standard A4 paper during 2008-09. This paper was used in both photocopiers and printers.

This figure relates to expenditure in the UK. Figures for our overseas offices are not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Scotland Office in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2549]

The Scotland Office does not record separately spending on photocopier paper and other types of copier paper. In the financial year 2008-09, excluding value added tax, the Scotland Office spent £2,871 on all types of copier paper.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Ministry of Justice in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2550]

In the 2008-09 financial year, the Ministry of Justice had in operation numerous contracts for the supply of photocopier paper.

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) had one main supplier for photocopier paper incurring £1,089,154. In addition, prison industries spent a further £595,532 on specialist paper used for their printing workshops.

For the rest of the department—comprising the Ministry of Justice headquarters, HM Courts Service, Tribunals Service and the Office of the Public Guardian—several different contracts had been used to supply photocopier paper. It is not possible to determine the total expenditure on photocopier paper in 2008-09 without incurring the disproportionate cost of examining individual transactions which took place under the multiple contracts. However, the expenditure under the main contract for photocopier paper was £1,417,907 for the year.

It is possible, though unlikely, that some further expenditure may have been incurred outside of those contracts using the government procurement card (GPC). To investigate whether any photocopier paper had been purchased with the GPC card would incur disproportionate cost.

Since May 2009, the Ministry of Justice has consolidated its office supply contracts into one main supplier in order to derive the best value for money option possible. Prison industries, however, still continue to order specialist paper from other suppliers for their print industry.

All figures stated exclude VAT.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by (a) the Department of Health, and (b) the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2551]

Within the last financial year that figures are available (2008-09), the department spent £222,237.72 on photocopying and printing paper.

The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) spent £2,240.10.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2552]

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2611]

Since 01 April 2009, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has spent £85,760.86 on stationery. This amount includes the expenditure on photocopier paper, which is not recorded separately.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 19 January (WA 235), whether they will publish the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Ministry of Justice in the latest period for which figures are available. [HL2613]

We do not intend to publish the average price of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper because to do so would breach contractual commercial confidentiality provisions and would give an unfair advantage to other suppliers.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Office of Government Commerce in the latest period for which figures are available. [HL2614]

The average price for a ream of A4 80 gsm copier paper paid by HM Treasury (which incorporates the Office of Government Commerce) in 2008-09 was £1.69 (ex VAT).