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10 Jan 2005 : Column 85W—continued
Departmental Events
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by the Office and which took place on non-Office premises in each of the last two years giving the (i) title, (ii) purpose, (iii) date and (iv) cost of each. [202327]
Mr. Miliband: The information requested is not held centrally. To obtain the information would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the cost of (a) new builds, (b) demolition rebuilds and (c) private finance initiative projects in the Office in each of the last two years. [202310]
Mr. Miliband: The Emergency Planning College (Easingwold) has spent around £400,000 in 2002–03 and around £4 million in 2003–04 on new builds.
It is estimated that since May 2002, the CMPS's Residential Learning and Development Centre (Sunningdale) Public Private Partnership/Private Finance Initiative partner has spent around £12 million on demolition, new builds and building and site enhancements at Sunningdale Park.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis to the Office in each of the last two years. [202311]
Mr. Miliband: I have asked Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of ministerial vehicles provided to this Department in 2003–04. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library and will be printed in the Official Report.
The amount used on taxis in the financial year 2002–03 was £354,284.95.
In 2003–04 a number of changes were made to the accounting system in order to rationalise the number of accounts and details of taxi costs ceased to be held centrally.
All official travel in the Department is undertaken strictly in accordance with the rules contained in the Cabinet Office Management Code.
Letter from Nick Matheson to Mr. John Bercow, dated 10 January 2005:
The Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me in my capacity as the Chief Executive responsible for the Government Car and Despatch Agency to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the cost of ministerial vehicles provided to various government departments.
Notes:
1. Northern Ireland Office (NIO) figures include costs for two temporary Ministers while the Northern Ireland Assembly is suspended.
2. Cabinet Office figures include cars at the Prime Minister's Office, the Leader of the House of Lords, the Commons Chief Whip and the Minister without Portfolio.
3. The Government Car Service no longer provides services to the Ministry of Defence.
Information for 2002–03 is shown in the attached table. This information was originally provided in response to a Parliamentary Question to the hon. Member for Arundel & South Downs (Mr Flight). A copy of my letter to him is also enclosed. Corresponding information for the Law Officers for 2002–03 (which was not included in the reply to Mr Flight) is also included in this table.
Information about a number of vehicles used within Government is not disclosed under Exemption l(a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information on the grounds that its disclosure could harm national security.
10 Jan 2005 : Column 87W
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on energy costs incurred by the Office in each of the last two years. [202312]
Mr. Miliband: Energy costs incurred by the Cabinet Office in each of the last two years are shown in the table.
| Spend—Total all fuels (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 1,066,030 |
| 2003–04 | 1,092,469 |
The Cabinet Office reduced its total energy consumption in 2003–04. The increase in spend for that year was due to increases in electricity and heating fuel prices which more than outweighed a substantial reduction in consumption.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her estimate is of the cost of building refurbishment carried out by the Office in each of the last two years. [202314]
Mr. Miliband: Excluding the Civil Service College's site at Sunningdale Park, the Cabinet Office spent £14,647,629 on building refurbishment in 2002–03 and £7,600,684 in 2003–04.
A Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership in relation to the Civil Service College's Sunningdale Park site commenced on 13 May 2002. From that date, the College's private sector partner has spent around £12 million on an overall investment plan. This has included expenditure on refurbishment projects.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of refurbishing each Ministerial Private Office was in the last two years. [202315]
Mr. Miliband: During 2003–04 the Ministerial Private Office of the Minister for the Cabinet Offices underwent repair and redecoration at a cost of £11,980.
No refurbishment works were undertaken in 2002–03.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the total external spending by the Office was on private finance initiative (PFI) consultants in each of the last two years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by the Office over this period; and if she will make a statement; [202318]
(2) what the total external spending by the Office was on public-private partnership (PPP) consultants in each of the last two years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by the Office over this period; and if she will make a statement. [202328]
Mr. Miliband: The Cabinet Office has not used any consultants in connection with private finance initiative (PFI) projects in 2003–04 or 2004–05.
The Cabinet Office has not incurred consultancy costs in connection with other public private partnership (PPP) activities.
10 Jan 2005 : Column 88W
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for Duchy administrative staff in each of the last two years. [202472]
Mr. Milburn: The Duchy of Lancaster is not responsible for the cost or provision of a ministerial car or driver to the post of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
For information for the periods 2002–03 and 2003–04, I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.
The cost of taxis to the Duchy of Lancaster is included within the travel costs itemised in the Duchy's accounts, copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of refurbishing his ministerial private office was in each of the last two years. [202475]
Mr. Milburn: Responsibility for the ministerial private office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster rests with the Cabinet Office.
I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on entertainment by the Cabinet Office in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) food, (b) alcohol, (c) staff and (d) accommodation. [204342]
Mr. Miliband: Details of the Department's spend on entertainment in each year since 1997 are shown in the following table.
| Entertainment expenditure | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 192 |
| 1998–99 | 170 |
| 1999–2000 | 276 |
| 2000–01 | 277 |
| 2001–02 | 254 |
| 2002–03 | 307 |
| 2003–04 | 381 |
Information breaking down the expenditure by the categories requested cannot be readily retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent by his office on (a) new furniture and (b) hired furniture in each year since 1997. [205619]
Mr. Miliband: The available information on the cost of furniture for the Cabinet Office is shown in the table.
| Cost (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 74,841.50 |
| 2003–04 | 134,788 |
It is not possible to provide information for all of the Cabinet Office estate for previous years as this is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
10 Jan 2005 : Column 89W
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the costs of refurbishments in the Cabinet Office were in each year since 1997; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [205680]
Mr. Miliband: The costs of refurbishment of London offices of the Cabinet Office are shown in the table.
| Cost (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 1,974,788 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,470,524 |
| 2000–01 | 28,082,638 |
| 2001–02 | 35,994,741 |
| 2002–03 | 26,559,481 |
| 2003–04 | 11,216,534 |
Notes:
1. Figures include fees, furniture/office equipment and VAT.
2. There was no expenditure in 1997–98
There are no refurbishment projects currently in progress and none are planned to start in 2005–06. Other projects which are in the initial planning phase have yet to receive the go ahead and funding.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent by her Office on lighting in each year since 1997. [205747]
Mr. Miliband: The figure is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
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