To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the House of Commons (a) has paid and (b) remains liable to pay in respect of the costs of legal actions concerning freedom of information since the Freedom of Information Act 2000 came into effect. (276329)

Legal actions to the end of April 2009 have incurred external costs of £142,838. There are no outstanding liabilities. All internal costs have been absorbed within the cost of running the House Administration and cannot be separately identified.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the number of leaks to outside bodies of information on hon. Members' expenses claims for 2007-08; what assessment the Commission has made of the effects of those leaks, and the subsequent publication of information; and if he will make a statement. (276045)

It is clear that there has been unauthorised disclosure of a large amount of data relating to Members' claims, including claims relating to 2007-08. The Commission is monitoring the effects of those disclosures.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission for what reasons the information on hon. Members' expenses which has been leaked was not processed solely on paper, prior to scheduled publication by the House authorities in redacted electronic form. (276389)

The information to be published was taken from a dataset approaching one million separate pieces of paper. The editing of such information in paper format would have required copies to be made and the application of ink or tape to obscure the information and then recopied to ensure that the data remained unreadable. This solution was considered to be impracticable.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make it his policy that unredacted private data relating to hon. Members will in future be processed solely on paper until all redactions have been made, prior to publication in electronic form online. (276390)

Given the need correctly to process, record and account for claims and expenditure it is inevitable that electronic records are created and maintained. However, from the start of this financial year the way in which such data are collected and processed has been restructured. These processes will be kept under review.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether information is retained by the House authorities on where and when an hon. Member uses their House of Commons pass; and if he will make a statement. (276410)

It is not the policy of the Commission to comment on security matters.

7. To ask the Solicitor-General what her most recent assessment is of the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service in prosecuting cases of assault against police officers in (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire. (276611)

In 2008-09 the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted 21,260 cases of assault specifically against police officers in the execution of their duty, under section 89(1) of the Police Act 1996 in England and Wales, of which 185 cases were in Northamptonshire. The outcomes of these prosecutions could be ascertained only by examining individual case records, which would incur disproportionate cost. More serious assaults on police officers may result in other offences being charged, but the nature of the victim is not sufficiently identified by the CPS records.

To ask the Solicitor-General what the policy of the Law Officers' Departments is on encouraging Government lawyers to undertake pro bono work. (276608)

All Government Departments encourage their staff to take an active role in volunteering in the community. The Law Officers' departments support this policy and the provision by lawyers of legal advice and assistance pro bono. As a Law Officer's department, the Treasury Solicitor's Department, through the Government Legal Service Pro Bono network, encourages Government lawyers who wish to provide advice and representation pro bono. In addition to raising awareness and supporting lawyers working at diverse law clinics, the GLS pro bono network operates an advice clinic at the Treasury Solicitor's Department on Tuesday nights, which focuses on employment law issues. A new initiative from the Crown Prosecution Service is a pro bono and volunteering network, which will be launched formally on 10 June 2009.

To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the convening of a joint panel with the Metropolitan Police to assess allegations relating to claims for allowances payments made by hon. Members. (276606)

None. Decisions about whether a criminal investigation is called for or not in an individual case fall to the police, with advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. The panel will establish whether there are cases that merit investigation and determine priorities. This will speed up the process. The panel will ensure that decisions in individual cases are taken on a fair and consistent basis with the benefit of advice from the CPS.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 183W, on Members: allowances; for what reason he did not reply to the part of the Question relating to the sequence of events. (276762)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 183W. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) at Prime Minister’s Questions on 1 April 2009, Official Report, column 910-911.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Compensation Agency spent on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years. (276365)

The following table shows the Compensation Agency’s expenditure on hospitality in the last five years:

The Compensation Agency does not have any entertainment expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with officials of the Home Office on the proposal to give the police powers to collect advance passenger data on domestic air and sea journeys. (275501)

Scotland Office and Home Office officials have had a number of recent exchanges on this proposal. Police powers to require a carrier, on request, to capture passenger data on domestic routes were provided through the Police and Justice Act 2006. These provisions have not been commenced. A formal public consultation will take place prior to the secondary legislation necessary to implement the powers. It is intended that this will focus on crossings between Great Britain and Northern Ireland only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of staff in his Department were dismissed (a) for under-performance and (b) in total in each of the last 10 years. (274315)

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since this date no members of staff have been dismissed for under-performance.

To ask the Leader of the House when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 19 February 2009, on lobbying. (276696)

We have no record of receiving such correspondence from the hon. Member, but would be happy to supply an early response on receiving a copy of the original letter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the airline industry on responsibility for meeting the cost of returning persons trafficked by air into the UK to their country of origin. (275414)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration on 20 May 2009, Official Report, column 1463W, to the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the risk register for his Department's flexible benefits project. (276673)

The risk registers held by the Department for Transport on this matter are either commercial, confidential or sensitive documents and it would not be appropriate to place them in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's response is to the recommendations to standardise processes in areas such as travel and subsistence claims and annual performance appraisals as set out at page 8, paragraph 15f of the National Audit Office report on Shared Services in Department for Transport. (276674)

The Department for Transport agrees that standardisation of processes is an important contributor to the operation of Shared Services and that this will be achieved appropriately where it meets business need.

The NAO has highlighted travel and subsistence, and annual performance appraisals as areas where standardised processes should be considered. The Department will be considering these areas, as well as other areas where work is already under way, such as developing e recruitment, to gain the greatest benefit from shared services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles over six years old are (a) owned and (b) leased by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies. (276685)

The requested information on cars owned or leased over six-years-old is provided in the table.

The Government Car and Despatch Agency provide vehicles for to a number of Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on (a) conference services and (b) banqueting services in each of the last five years. (274497)

The requested information is as follows:

The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising a central Department and seven Executive Agencies. Conferences are organised in support of strategic objectives and the above data includes associated costs, such as stands and equipment.

The increase in costs is due to the hosting of conferences for Executive Agency stakeholders (where no such conferences previously existed) and increases in the frequency and scope of other conferences.

All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 on the process of (a) reopening and (b) upgrading railway stations. (276298)

No direct assessment of the effect of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts on the process of reopening and upgrading of railway stations has been made by the Department for Transport.

However, the Department recognises that the Disability Discrimination Acts have driven greater improvements to the accessibility of railway stations, both through infrastructure improvements, such as those funded through the Department’s £370 million Access for All programme, as well as through improvements in the policies and practices in place for the delivery of rail services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the additional cost of works to (a) reopen and (b) upgrade railway stations incurred as a result of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 in the latest period for which figures are available. (276299)

The Department for Transport has not made any assessment of additional costs incurred as a result of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts.

The Disability Discrimination Acts have required rail station operators to make reasonable physical alterations at stations since 2004, so that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access rail services. What is reasonable is for the Courts, not the Department for Transport, to determine.

In addition, since 2002 new infrastructure works at stations have been required to follow the standards set out in the Department’s code of practice on accessible train and station design for disabled people. However, these requirements are not directly attributable to the Disability Discrimination Acts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on road maintenance costs of the use of the road network by heavy goods vehicles. (276451)

The Department for Transport has recently produced estimates of the effects of articulated heavy goods vehicles on road maintenance costs as part of the work to produce new Mode Shift Benefit (MSB) values for use in the allocation of freight mode shift grants. The estimates, and the methodology used to produce them, are described in "Mode Shift Benefit Values—Technical Report":

www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/165226/443908/msbtechpaper.pdf

The underlying relationships between HGV traffic and highways maintenance were investigated in “Lorry Track and Environmental Costs”:

www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/nera/

which the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions published in April 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness in improving road travel conditions of the high occupancy vehicle lane on the M606 and M62. (276633)

The M606-M62 high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane has been operating for a year and the Highways Agency is investigating the benefits to road users. Initial results suggest that those using the HOV lane are saving around eight minutes in the weekday morning peak compared with before the HOV lane was built. Those approaching the junction and not using the HOV lane are saving around five minutes in the weekday morning peak. These results are broadly as anticipated. A detailed report of performance will be published in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Sunday train services operated by East Midland Trains between 14 December 2008 and 11 May 2009 ran on time; and how many such services were subject to alteration between Derby and London. (276665)

This information is not held by the Department for Transport in the form requested. Reliability data for train services are held in the form of the Public Performance Measure which records the percentage of trains arriving punctually at their destination.

More detailed train performance data for the rail network are collected and held by Network Rail. The hon. Member may wish to contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:

Iain Coucher

Chief Executive

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London N1 9AG

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which rail franchise contracts provide for a time extension; what time extension is available in each case; and what conditions govern the extension. (276328)

[holding answer 19 May 2009]: With the exception of Southern Railway which is due to terminate on 19 September 2009, all English and Welsh rail franchises have an option for a time extension based on certain criteria. The criteria may be seen in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what maximum period of time a rail passenger service can be temporarily withdrawn before (a) the service must be fully restored and (b) closure provisions are enacted. (276725)

No maximum time period is specified under the Railways Act 2005 for which a rail passenger service can be temporarily withdrawn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is permissible for a rail passenger service to be temporarily withdrawn for an indefinite period when there is no time-scaled plan to restore the service or enact closure provisions. (276726)

Under the Railways Act 2005 a rail passenger service can be temporarily withdrawn. No maximum time period is specified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions exist to allow a referral to be made to the Office of Rail Regulation to determine whether changes to a rail passenger service constitute (a) temporary withdrawal of that service and (b) its closure. (276727)

There are no provisions under the Railways Act 2005 to allow such a referral to be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information local authorities provide to his Department on their traffic management in conurbations; and if he will make a statement. (277239)

English local authorities outside London provide information on their delivery of traffic management measures, and relevant outcomes, through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process. LTPs, and LTP progress reports, are available on local authority websites. At the request of the Department for Transport, LTP progress reports from 2006 and 2008 included information from these authorities on their delivery of the Network Management Duty, as introduced by the Traffic Management Act 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much per head of population was spent from the public purse on roads in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2009 to date; (276461)

The information is not available in the form requested.

Funding for investment, maintenance and operation of strategic roads is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. These roads pass through both rural and urban areas, but it is not possible to allocate the spend between them. Details of Highways Agency expenditure are included in their Annual Report and Accounts at:

http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/documents/Revised_Annual_Report_Accounts_25_07_08.pdf

Expenditure on non-strategic roads is for local authorities and Transport for London. The Department for Transport provides some support for this expenditure, but it is for local authorities to decide the proportion of their overall available resources to be spent on roads, and the allocation of resources to different parts of their area. Statistics on local government expenditure are available at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/financialstatisticsl82008

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government has made of the likely effect of the proposed Afghan Shia family law in Afghanistan on the rights of Afghan women; and if he will make a statement. (276146)

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised our concerns with President Karzai. We welcome President Karzai's decision to ask the Minister of Justice to review the legislation in question and his announcement on 27 April 2009 that the ‘Shia Family’ law would be changed to bring it in line with the constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women, and the international treaties to which Afghanistan is a party. We will continue to follow the progress of this issue closely.

As my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, has said, the Afghans obviously have the right to write their own laws. However, we were dismayed that some reported provisions of the Bill as it was drafted ran counter to Afghanistan's international human rights obligations. This Bill, if it had become law as drafted, would have had a significantly detrimental impact on the rights of women.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the Afghan Government on the proposed Shia Personal Status Law; and what discussions he has had with his (a) EU and (b) US counterparts on the appropriate international response to this legislation. (271012)

We continue to urge the Afghan Government to uphold the Afghan Constitution, which demands equal treatment of men and women, and to adhere to Afghanistan’s international legal obligations under the human rights conventions it has signed up to, including the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

As my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, has said, the Afghans obviously have the right to write their own laws. However, we were dismayed that some reported provisions of the Bill as it was drafted ran counter to Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations. This Bill, if it had become law as drafted, would have had a significantly detrimental impact on the rights of women.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised our concerns about the law with President Karzai. We welcome President Karzai’s decision to ask the Minister of Justice to review the legislation in question, and his announcement on 27 April 2009 that the law would be changed to bring it in line with the constitution, and the international treaties to which Afghanistan is a party. We will continue to follow the progress of this issue closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs have been incurred in each case in which the Government was taken to the European Court of Human Rights after the entry into force of the Human Rights Act 1998. (274037)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not hold a record of the overall cost of the Government’s defence of each application to the European Court of Human Rights since the entry into force of the Human Rights Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 5 May 2009, Official Report, columns 4-7WS, on the General Affairs and External Relations Council, what proposals the Swedish Foreign Minister made for publicising the EU’s work on human rights; and to which officials the Presidency referred further work. (275453)

The Swedish Foreign Minister proposed that the EU should consider the following: consolidating on one easily recognisable website a range of information about the EU’s human rights work; strengthening the EU Annual Report on Human Rights; reinforcing the EU’s day-to-day public diplomacy in respect of human rights; and issuing public reports on human rights situations in third countries.

The presidency referred the matter to the Political and Security Committee for further consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations his Department has made to the Russian Government on the trial of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement; (274597)

We regularly raise our concerns regarding the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, bilaterally and through the EU. The issue was raised bilaterally at the UK/Russia human rights consultations in January in Moscow. Our concerns include the arbitrary application of the rule of law, due process and fair treatment of Khodorkovsky and others who have been arrested or prosecuted in the Yukos Affair, access to lawyers and medical care, conditions of detention and the alleged harassment of defence teams and witnesses.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister did not specifically raise Mr. Khodorkovsky’s situation during his bilateral with President Medvedev at the G20 summit. However, during their bilateral the Prime Minister and President Medvedev agreed that both governments should continue to work together to resolve the areas on which the UK and Russia differ. The Government will continue to raise specific human rights cases, not only through the bilateral human rights consultations.

The UK is participating in trial monitoring with EU partners and the US. We will continue to follow developments in Mr. Khodorkovsky’s case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed the case of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky with President Medvedev at the G20 summit; and if he will make a statement. (274601)

During my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s bilateral with President Medvedev before the G20 Summit, a number of issues of concern to the UK were raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of civilians (a) injured and (b) killed in northern Sri Lanka between 8 and 11 May 2009; and if he will make a statement. (275963)

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said at the UN on 11 May 2009, we are appalled at the recent reports of civilian casualties. The ongoing conflict makes it difficult to be certain of the facts of the present situation, which is compounded by the lack of access for international agencies and the media, so it remains difficult to confirm the exact number of casualties. Estimates vary wildly, depending on the source. We have made clear to the Government of Sri Lanka our concerns over the disturbing reports of the continued use of heavy weapons and civilian casualties. Following the Foreign Secretary's discussions with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 12 May 2009, they released a joint statement calling for the Government of Sri Lanka to abide by its commitment of 27 April 2009 to end major combat operations and the use of heavy weapons. They called on all sides to end hostilities immediately and allow for the safe evacuation of the tens of thousands of civilians trapped within the safe zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Sri Lankan Government on civilian deaths during the recent fighting in the north east of the island. (276263)

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said at the UN on 11 May 2009, we are appalled at the recent reports of heavy fighting and civilian casualties. We condemn the killing of civilians in the strongest possible terms. During his recent visit to Sri Lanka with French Foreign Minister Kouchner, the Foreign Secretary made clear to the Sri Lankan Government that the safety of civilians must be paramount and that hostilities must end immediately. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollogama on 10,11 and 13 May 2009 to express our grave concern over the continued reports of heavy fighting and civilian casualties and to underline the urgent need for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to leave the conflict area safely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the government of Sri Lanka on the arrest and expulsion of Channel 4 journalist Nick Paton Walsh and two of his colleagues; and if he will make a statement. (275959)

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Bogollagama on 10 May 2009, expressing our disappointment at the detainment and deportation of three Channel 4 journalists from Sri Lanka the day before. The Foreign Secretary made clear our view that there is an overwhelming need for greater transparency, not less. We have consistently called for access for international monitors and the media. Our high commission in Colombo has lodged a formal protest with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the incident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer Question 268581 tabled on 30 March 2009 on the G20 Summit; and if he will make a statement. (275528)

This question was answered on 18 May 2009, Official Report, column 1149W. The delay in replying was due to an administrative error.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer question 272621, tabled on 30 April 2009, on the number of records stored on the Overseas Territories Regional Crime Intelligence System. (276795)

This question was answered on 19 May 2009, Official Report, column 1322W. The delay in replying was due to an administrative error.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeship (a) starts and (b) completions in management there were at each level in each of the last five years. (268146)

Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship starts in management-related frameworks (business administration and management) in the last five years.

Table 2 shows the number of apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship completions in management-related frameworks (business administration and management) in the last five years.

The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997, we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship—up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter of 19 March 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Harris, transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions. (276505)

I have been asked to reply.

A response to the letter, from the Minister for Schools and Learners was sent to the right hon. Member on 15 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in implementing the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in UK and international military programmes in Afghanistan in the last 12 months. (275862)

I have been asked to reply.

The UK is committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, to protect the rights of women and girls in areas suffering conflict, and to incorporate their perspectives in conflict resolution and peacekeeping planning. In Afghanistan, the impact on women is routinely considered as we take forward our military, stabilisation, governance and reconstruction activity. In support of this resolution the UK is funding various programmes to promote women’s equal participation in governance and to build awareness of women’s rights among civil society and policy makers. This includes two bilateral programmes that address issues of violence against women. The Government contribute £737,000 to the UN Development Fund for Women (UNTFEM)’s Elimination of Violence against Women Special Fund. Through this programme, Government partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are being supported to improve protection and assistance to women at risk and victims of violence. The UK is also supporting a five-year Women’s Empowerment programme from 2005-10, implemented by the NGO Womankind. This £500,000 initiative focuses on promoting women’s equal participation in governance; building awareness of women’s rights among civil society and policy makers; and on providing educational, health, community and counselling support for victims of violence.

Despite the challenges, progress has been made:

Over a third of children now enrolled in school are girls.

We have committed over £35 million to support the Afghan government’s micro-finance programme, giving women in particular better access to finance.

Following the adoption of a quota system, 27 per cent. of seats in the lower house of the Afghan Parliament are now held by women.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many and what proportion of service single accommodation properties in Scotland are unoccupied; (274594)

As at 1 May 2009, 577 (18 per cent.) out of 3,227 service family accommodation (SFA) properties in Scotland were unoccupied.

Single living accommodation is classed as unoccupied when it is not routinely used overnight. However, this includes, for example, rooms which are assigned to individuals on operational deployments and not available for reassignment.

As at September 2008, the latest date for which figures are centrally held, 3,720 (43 per cent.) out of 8,530 single living accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces in Scotland were unoccupied.

Service accommodation can be unoccupied for various reasons, such as, being held pending due to planned moves of service personnel, is subject to major maintenance, modernisation, demolition or disposal work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Chief Operating Officer and Financial Director of Defence Storage and Distribution Agency has been suspended. (276716)

The Defence Fraud Analysis Unit has conducted an investigation into commercial activities at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency. While fraud has not been identified, the report raises potentially serious issues and an internal investigation has therefore been commissioned. The chief executive and former finance director, now director corporate services, have been suspended on full pay pending the outcome of this investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in the defence sector in Dunfermline and West Fife constituency in each of the last five years. (276667)

The information is not held in the format requested, therefore the MOD is not able to provide these figures at constituency level. However, figures can be provided for the numbers of MOD civilian and service personnel who are directly employed at MOD establishments/bases located in the Fife local authority area, which includes West Fife and Dunfermline, for each of the last three years. This information is provided in the following table.

Estimates for those people in Scotland employed directly and indirectly in industry, commerce and those companies that receive contracts directly from MOD and indirectly through the supply chain supporting such contracts, for each of the last five years, is provided in the following table.

This information is not held in the format requested, i.e. broken down by constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy. (273560)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the (a) energy consumed by, (b) energy cost of and (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; (269540)

The MOD Sustainable Development Strategy identifies Green ICT as a key enabler in reducing the emissions from our estate and we remain committed to achieving the stated targets provided as follows.

1 January 2009

Green ICT Roadmap to deliver Government targets developed (completed).

January 2010

Be ready to report on the progress made towards ICT Carbon Neutrality.

2012

Energy consumption of Government ICT on the office estate will be Carbon Neutral by 2012.

2020

All new MOD ICT will be Carbon Neutral across its lifecycle.

MOD played a key role in creating and chairing Government’s Green ICT Delivery Unit for the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Councils.

We established an internal Sustainable Procurement Programme Office in 2008 that has incorporated all of the key steps from the Greening Government ICT Strategy into our overarching policies and guidance for procurement. We have also run the challenging Green ICT Scorecard against our current and future infrastructure service.

Additionally, MOD has produced a CIO Green ICT Roadmap. This is being followed in delivering the ongoing rollout of DII(F).

Information about energy consumption, energy cost and carbon dioxide emissions from our ICT equipment for each of the past five years is not been held in the format requested and so any retrospective estimate could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to its civil servants in bonuses in each year since 1997; and (a) how many bonuses were paid, (b) what the aggregate monetary value of the bonuses was and (c) what the highest bonus paid was in each such year. (275003)

Bonus arrangements for senior civil service (SCS) staff were changed in 2002-03, and for staff below the SCS, new bonus arrangements were introduced in 2003. Therefore, information between 1997 and 2003 is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The amounts paid to civil servants in each year, the number of bonuses paid and the aggregate monetary value of the bonuses and the highest bonus in each year since the 2003-04 FY are shown as follows. Figures for payment in FY 2009-10 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (i) all staff and (ii) senior Civil Service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made. (275261)

The information requested is provided in the following table. These figures include staff in MOD agencies but exclude trading funds.

For the SCS, the size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body. For performance year 2007-08 to which the information refers, the limit was set at 8.6 per cent. of the SCS pay pot. The median payment was £8,000. The Government have responded positively to current economic conditions by freezing the size of the pot for payments to be made in 2009-10.

The total paybill for staff below the senior civil service, excluding trading funds, covered by the main pay award is £1.827 billion, of which, up to 2.7 per cent. is for non-consolidated performance awards to staff. The median payment in 2008-09 was £775.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the performance and effectiveness of the UK's current fleet of AW101 Merlin helicopters; for how long he estimates those aircraft will remain in service in the UK armed forces; and if he will make a statement. (276729)

The UK operates two basic variants of Merlin helicopter; the Merlin Mk1, which entered service in 1999, delivers a variety of maritime roles and the Mk3/3a, which entered service in 2000 (Mk3) and 2008 (Mk3a), is operated in a battlefield support role. Since introduction into service, the Merlin helicopter has proved itself to be a very capable modern operational platform, having already provided excellent support to operations in Iraq and ongoing maritime and anti-piracy operations. We expect to deploy the Merlin to Afghanistan later this year.

Our Merlin aircraft are expected to remain in service for at least another 20 years, and we are exploring opportunities to extend this further. The Merlin Mk1 is already undergoing a major capability sustainment activity and we are currently investigating the optimum means of maintaining Merlin Mk3/3a capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding from the public purse has been provided to the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society Combat Stress in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2008-09. (276668)

The following table shows the funding received by Combat Stress for the years requested.

Funds are provided through the War Pensions Scheme's discretionary power to meet the cost of any necessary expenses in respect of medical, surgical or rehabilitative treatment of ex-members of the armed forces that arise from a disablement due to service before 6 April 2005 where it is not provided for under other UK legislation. This includes the individual costs of war pensioners undergoing “remedial treatment” at homes ran by Combat Stress for conditions related to their individual pensioned disablement and of related expenses such as travel costs.

In October 2007, my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) announced a 45 per cent. increase to the fees paid to Combat Stress by the MOD and the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which military (a) bases and (b) other sites owned by his Department containing accommodation areas are (i) redundant and (ii) shortly to become redundant for his Department’s purposes; on what date each became or is due to become redundant; what area each covers; what sanitation facilities each has; how many separate sleeping rooms there are; what perimeter fences there are; what the postal address of each site is; and what estimate he has made of the market value of each site. (276765)

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent of 12 May 2009, Official Report, column 753W, on radioactive waste: waste management, if he will place in the Library a copy of his response to the hon. Member when it is issued. (276312)

A copy of my response will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK Search and Rescue (SAR) services will continue to provide a 24 hour service for the UK SAR region from 12 bases in the UK when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency service contract ends in 2012. (276542)

Yes.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many of the 100,000 jobs the Government expects to be created early this year are expected to arise in the construction industry. (247820)

I have been asked to reply.

The pre-Budget report announced the Government's commitment to providing timely, targeted and temporary support to the economy by bringing forward £3 billion of capital spending from 2010-11 into 2008-09 and 2009-10. This additional investment is already supporting a number of industries and employing people across the country.

As the update on the capital fiscal stimulus provided at Budget showed, the majority of the public sector capital projects being brought forward involve construction activity. It is therefore expected that the bulk of the resulting employment impact will be in the construction sector. There are no centrally-prescribed rules for how the additional jobs will be allocated: the Departments concerned are responsible for determining how the funding is most effectively spent.

As set out at Budget 2009, the total announced policy support for the UK economy is expected to protect up to half a million jobs through the fiscal stimulus, together with MPC decisions to cut the Bank of England interest rate and quantitative easing.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the proportion of households with a bank account in each region of the UK. (272718)

The Government are committed to reducing financial exclusion and increasing the number of people who can manage their money by using a bank account.

The Family Resources Survey data for 2006-07, published in June this year, show that the number of adults without access to a bank account fell from 2.8 million in 2002-03 to 2.1 million in 2006-07. The survey data also show that around 95 per cent. of households in the UK are ‘banked’. The profile of banked households by Government office region are as follows:

The Financial Inclusion Taskforce recently published its third annual report on access to banking. The report contains profiles of the number of people in the UK without access to a bank account, including breakdowns by region. The report is on the taskforce’s website at:

http://www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what position the Government holds in relation to other shareholders in the ranking for settlement in (a) Bradford and Bingley and (b) Northern Rock. (276679)

Shares in both banks were transferred to the Treasury when the banks were taken into public ownership. The amount of any compensation due to former shareholders will be decided by an independent valuer. The valuer for Northern Rock has already been appointed and further information can be found on his website at:

http://www.northernrockvaluer.org.uk/

The valuer for Bradford and Bingley will be appointed shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2009, Official Report, column 417W, on Bradford and Bingley, whether his Department proposed changes to the business plan before agreeing it with the Board. (276504)

Treasury officials worked co-operatively with Bradford and Bingley in keeping with the shareholder relationship framework document over a number of months as the bank developed its business plan.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of downgrading of the credit rating of some UK building societies; and if he will make a statement. (276472)

The Government note the recent ratings downgrades for some UK building societies and will continue to do what is necessary to protect depositors and consumers, ensure financial stability, protect public funds and support the wider economy. The Government welcome the role that mutuals play in the wider community, and in ensuring the diversity of the UK financial services sector.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of Government expenditure was spent on housing in each year since 1997. (275948)

Government expenditure on housing and community amenities from 1987-88 is laid out in the Budget 2009 National Statistics functional tables available at the following link:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/bud09_functionaltables.xls

Total managed expenditure is a measure of public sector expenditure on a National Accounts basis and is included at the above link.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many of the planned 100,000 new jobs will be in the public sector; and what the timetable is for their creation; (250508)

The 2008 pre-Budget report announced the Government’s commitment to providing timely, targeted and temporary support to the economy by bringing forward £3 billion of capital spending from 2010-11 into 2008-09 and 2009-10. This additional investment is already supporting a number of industries and employing people across the country.

As the update on the capital fiscal stimulus provided at Budget showed, the majority of the public sector capital projects being brought forward involve construction activity. It is therefore expected that the bulk of the resulting employment impact will be in the construction sector. There are no centrally-prescribed rules for how the additional jobs will be allocated: the Departments concerned are responsible for determining how the additional funding is most effectively spent.

As set out at Budget 2009, the total announced policy support for the UK economy is expected to protect up to half a million jobs through the fiscal stimulus, together with MPC decisions to cut the Bank of England interest rate and quantitative easing.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints the Financial Services Authority received on (a) mortgages and (b) repossession of homes by mortgage lenders in each of the last five years. (266283)

The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, the day-to-day operations of which are independent from Government control and influence. The FSA wrote to the hon. Member on 13 May.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of the increase in national insurance contributions for employers announced in the pre-Budget report 2008. (246393)

The total employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) for English local authority staff in 2007-08, including police, fire and rescue staff and teachers is set out in the Local Authority Revenue Expenditure Final Outturn 2007-08, which can be found at:

http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/ro0708fin.pdf

The additional cost of national insurance contributions incurred by councils from 2011 onwards will be considered in the normal way in the next spending review. This will be made in the proper spending review process alongside a holistic view of all additional costs experienced by the sector at this time.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will recalculate Table 4.1 on page 36 and Table 4.2 on page 42 of his Department’s report of March 2008 on long-term public finance: an analysis of fiscal sustainability assuming long-term average annual net migration of (a) 50,000 a year, (b) 60,000 a year, (c) 100,000 a year, (d) 6 per cent. below the principal migration projection each year, (e) 5 per cent. below the principal migration projection each year and (f) zero. (276279)

[holding answer 18 May 2009]: Table 4.3 on page 45 of the 2008 long-term public finance report shows the sensitivity of spending projections to alternative assumptions on fertility, life expectancy and migration. The next Long-term public finance report will be published in 2009.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph C.76, page 242 of the 2009 Budget, if he will place in the Library a copy of the actuarial advice he has received on public sector pensions; and if he will make a statement. (272645)

The actuarial advice referred to in paragraph C.76 is that received by individual schemes, reflecting the particular scheme characteristics.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to increase public sector employment in deprived areas. (275477)

The Budget announced a Future Jobs Fund, which will provide funding for an additional 50,000 jobs in areas of high unemployment across the country. A further 100,000 jobs, as well as work placements and work-focused training, will be offered to all young people aged 18-24 who have claimed jobseeker’s allowance for 12 months. We expect many of the jobs, made available through the Future Jobs Fund, to be provided by local authorities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Financial Services Authority on the regulation of the stock market. (275438)

[holding answer 14 May 2009]: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with colleagues in the Financial Services Authority on an ongoing basis. It is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs decided not to issue PA10 forms for the tax year 2008-09; and what measures are in place to ensure that taxpayers who are not required to file self-assessment returns do not pay an incorrect amount in tax. (273111)

The P810 (Tax Review) form is a non-statutory form and acts as a reminder for customers to advise HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if they have any additional tax liabilities or unclaimed expenses.

P810 forms are issued on a three-year cycle so there is leeway in the process to control their issue. By not issuing the P810 forms, HMRC will be able to focus its resources on the delivery of the PAYE service, which replaces the current IT PAYE system introduced in the early 1980s. Priority will be given to repayment claims and other unsolicited correspondence from customers. HMRC will resume the issue of P810 forms from April 2010.

Customers are obliged to tell HMRC of any such changes regardless of the issue of a form P810. This is set out on the P2 Notice of Coding, which details the allowances and deductions that have been included in an individual's tax code. P2 notices are issued when HMRC is told of any changes to a customer's circumstances or as part of the annual coding review each January.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the outstanding cost to the Exchequer of unpaid tax over each of the last five years. (271112)

Figures for the outstanding amount of tax debt and revenue losses (tax and duty written off each year) are published in HM Revenue and Customs' Annual Accounts, available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm

Administration costs incurred in recovering tax debt and interest paid on additional Government borrowing as a result of unpaid tax represent additional costs to the Exchequer.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 2 February 2009, Official Report, column 902W, on Valuation Office, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s (a) Introduction to Inspections Workbook, (b) CT Referencers Manual and (c) NDR Referencers Manual; (276671)

These documents have now been deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 9 January 2008, Official Report, column 636W, on Valuation Office: training, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the e-learning dwelling house coding module. (276672)

Due to the volume of data the document can only be deposited in CD Rom format. Arrangements are being made for this to be deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 262, on the Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble, how much has been paid to Cole Layer Trumble and Tyler Technologies for work undertaken on behalf of the Valuation Office Agency to date. (275853)

Over the past six years, a total of £3.71 million has been paid to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies for this work. This figure excludes non-recoverable VAT.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has made to Technical Forecasts Limited in the last 12 months; and to what types of properties the forecast models developed by the company for the VOA relate. (275765)

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has a contract with Technical Forecasts Limited to provide property value forecasts on behalf of HM Treasury.

The contract runs until 31 December 2009 and is subject to a confidentiality clause that prevents details of the payments for this service being disclosed. The types of property for which forecast data have been prepared are as follows: agricultural land, residential building land, and offices.

Forecasts are also provided for future movements in the prices of office equipment.

The forecasts are then incorporated in indices prepared for HM Treasury by the VOA for use in updating property asset valuations for capital accounting purposes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) e-learning programmes and (b) modules the Valuation Office Agency has. (275784)

There are currently 26 e-learning programmes available to all Valuation Office Agency staff. These are listed as follows and broken down by module.

1. Creation (Address Application)

Foundation (Address Application)

Retrieval (Address Application)

Structure (Address Application)

2. Improving Customer Service (Enquiry Handling and Appeals Direct)

Overview (Enquiry Handling and Appeals Direct)

Processes (Enquiry Handling and Appeals Direct)

3. Grammar (Basic English Skills Grammar and Punctuation)

Punctuation (Basic English Skills Grammar and Punctuation)

4. Conversion to GIA (Code of Measuring Practice)

Measuring Non-domestic Property (Code of Measuring Practice)

Overview (Code of Measuring Practice)

5. Introduction to Council Tax (Council Tax—Updated)

Legal Principles (Council Tax—Updated)

Main Sources of Council Tax Information (Council Tax—Updated)

Valuation Issues (Council Tax—Updated)

Valuation Process (Council Tax—Updated)

6. An Introduction (Data Security)

Assessment (Data Security)

Practical Application (Data Security)

7. How to Dictate (Digital Dictation)

Introduction to Digital Dictation (Digital Dictation)

8. Ageing a Dwelling (Dwellinghouse Coding)

Dwellinghouse Coding (Dwellinghouse Coding)

Practical Application (Dwellinghouse Coding)

Property Details Effective Dates (Dwellinghouse Coding)

Recording Property Attributes on the CDB (Dwellinghouse Coding)

9. Employee Self Service—ESS (Enterprise Resource Planning ERP)

ESS Travel and Expenses (Enterprise Resource Planning ERP)

ESS Working Time (Enterprise Resource Planning ERP)

Managers Self Service—MSS (Enterprise Resource Planning ERP)

Overview (Enterprise Resource Planning ERP)

10. Equal Opportunities and Diversity Essentials (Equality and Diversity In Practice)

Exploring Equal Opportunities and Diversity (Equality and Diversity In Practice)

Managing Diversity (Equality and Diversity In Practice)

11. Euclidian

12. Fire Awareness in the Workplace

13. Freedom of Information (Freedom of Information including Data Protection and Other Information Law)

Data Protection (Freedom of Information including Data Protection and Other Information Law)

Other Information Law (Freedom of Information including Data Protection and Other Information Law)

Programme Overview (Freedom of Information inc. Data Protection and Other Information Law)

14. Asbestos Awareness A Practical Guide (Health and Safety Site Inspections)

Hazards on Site (Health and Safety Site Inspections)

Health and Safety Site Visits (Health and Safety Site Inspections)

Personal Protective Equipment (Health and Safety Site Inspections)

15. Introduction to the VOA Internet (Introduction to the VOA Internet

16. MS Office

17.0mnidox

18. Continuous feedback (Performance Management)

End of Year Review (Performance Management)

Mid Year Review (Performance Management)

Performance Management and Review (Strategic Asset Management)

Performance Management Cycle (Performance Management)

Preparing for the Performance Year Ahead (Performance Management)

19. Co-ordination (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Defence Support Package (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Maintenance of the List (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Programme Overview (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Rating Regulations (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Resolving a Rating Appeal (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Right First Time (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Robust Defence (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

Valuation Tribunals (Rating Revaluation 2005 Maintenance and Defence)

20. RSA Pattern Valuation Process 2005 Rating List (RSA Pattern Valuation Process 2005 Rating List)

21. Asset Programmes (Strategic Asset Management)

Delivery (Strategic Asset Management)

Performance Management and Review (Strategic Asset Management)

Strategy Development (Strategic Asset Management)

What is Public Sector SAM? (Strategic Asset Management)

22.Ten Thumbs

23. The Development Process (Job-holders) (The Development Process including Assessment Centres)

The Development Process (Line-managers) (The Development Process including Assessment Centres)

What Route Should I Take? (Annex 2) (The Development Process including Assessment Centres)

Where do I want to go? (Annex 1) (The Development Process including Assessment Centres)

24. Assessment and Evaluation (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Behaviour at Work (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Diversity and Equality (The VOA Welcome Programme)

e-Learning for VOA Employees (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Health and Safety Background (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Practical Health and Safety (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Security and confidentiality (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Use of Resources (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Welcome to the VOA (The VOA Welcome Programme)

Your Employment Terms (The VOA Welcome Programme)

25.Transfer of TRS Functions to the VOA (Transfer of TRS Functions to the VOA)

26. Applications and Expressions of Interest (Vacancy Filling)

Feedback and Development (Vacancy Filling)

Passing the Sift (Vacancy Filling)

Programme Overview (Vacancy Filling)

Setting the Scene (Vacancy Filling)

The Interview (Vacancy Filling)

The Sifting Process (Vacancy Filling)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he expects to write off relating to tax credit overpayments made in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. (275379)

Overpayments will be written off where there has been a mistake by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the customer has met all their responsibilities, or where the practicality of collecting overpayments does not provide value for money for the taxpayer. On this last set of grounds, HMRC currently intends to write off £230-240 million of debt for the tax year 2003-04 to date. This will be reflected in the Department's Annual Accounts, which are published annually. A breakdown by tax year is not currently available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many families (a) in the UK and (b) in Amber Valley with outstanding tax credit overpayments from 2003-04 and 2004-05 had an income at the time of overpayment of (i) up to £5,000, (ii) £5,000 to £10,000, (iii) £10,000 to £15,000, (iv) £15,000 to £20,000, (v) £20,000 to £30,000, (vi) £30,000 to £40,000, (vii) £40,000 to £50,000 and (viii) over £50,000; and if he will make a statement; (275380)

The information requested is available only at a disproportionate cost.

However, estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments at country, regional and constituency level, are available in the HMRC publications, ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis’. These numbers are based on final family circumstances and incomes and are available for the years 2003-04 to 2006-07 on the HMRC website at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Further information on overpayments at UK level is also available on the same website in the HMRC publications, ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments’, also for the years 2003-04 to 2006-07.

Information for 2007-08 is not yet available at parliamentary constituency level. The geographical finalised awards publications have been delayed following a problem identified with the delivery of geographical information, although this does not affect the UK level statistics, which were published on 19 May 2009. More information can be found on the HMRC website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tc-delay-07-08.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on building maintenance since its creation; and if he will make a statement. (274557)

The Department has spent £666,967 on facilities management services for its two buildings since its creation. These services include building maintenance but we do not record this separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on branded stationery and gifts for (a) internal and (b) external promotional use since its establishment. (273780)

The information is as follows:

A. Internal

£6,783 for establishing electronic DECC branded stationery files to date. Establishing these electronic templates means we are able to keep ongoing stationery costs to a minimum.

£2,454: the cost of a mug for each member of staff, and low-cost pens.

B. External

£69,089 excluding VAT for various promotional items, including branded bags and stand-by savers, to support events and other PR activity as part of the Act on CO₂ campaign to encourage genuine and sustained carbon reduction behaviour change. This covers the period September 2008 and March 2009. Costs include some storage and distribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on the purchase of (a) recycled office supplies in the last 12 months and (b) printer ink cartridges since its creation. (274203)

The information is as follows:

(a) DECC do not hold the cost of purchasing recycled office supplies at this level of detail.

(b) To date, printer cartridges have been supplied as part of IT or facilities management service contracts with BERR and DEFRA. The cost of purchasing cartridges is not available as they are not identified separately for DECC usage.