Carbon Emissions

Anne Main
To ask the Leader of the House when the Privy Council Office began to measure its carbon emissions; what the volume of those emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when the Office started to offset those emissions; what the cost is expected to be of offsetting the Office's emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Straw
The majority of the staff of the Privy Council Office (PCO), including my office, are located in premises which are managed by other Government Departments or in the Palace of Westminster. The one building wholly managed by the PCO currently houses fewer than 30 staff and has not had a specific assessment of its carbon footprint. The PCO is, however, run in accordance with a green procurement policy which seeks to minimise its carbon footprint in a variety of ways. These include the use of energy efficient light bulbs and electrical equipment, minimising energy use and evaluating, as appropriate, the environmental performance of tenderers when relevant to any contracts.