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25 July 2006 : Column 1348W—continued

Vacancy figures for the Debt Management Office
Quarterly figures	Vacancies	Percentage vacancies (versus establishment)
1 April 2005	12	16
30 June 2005	12	16.5
30 September 2005	12	16
31 December 2005	12	17
Notes: 1. The average vacancy rate for each quarter compared to the DMO's Agreed Establishment was approximately 12 FTEs. 2. The Debt Management Offices are based in London.

Vacancy figures for Office of National Statistics
	Average number of posts vacant	Percentage of posts vacant
London	6.8	1
Newport, South Wales	5.7	<1
Titchfield, Hampshire	11.8	1
Southport	0.3	<1
Social survey interviewers	65	6

25 July 2006 : Column 1349W

Vacancy figures for OGC Buying Solutions
		Percentage vacancies (versus establishment)
	Total vacancies	North West	Eastern	London
2006
January	11	5.96	8.89	0
2005
December	15	6.62	5.56	0
November	17	7.94	5.56	0
October	18	8.61	5.56	0
September	23	9.27	10	0
August	27	9.93	13.3	0
July	31	11.92	14.4	0
June	26	9.27	13.3	0
May	27	9.93	13.3	0
April	18	5.96	10	0
March	18	5.96	10	0
February	20	7.28	10	0
January	17	5.96	8.89	0
Note: These are based on an average number of posts in each region over this time period. The total number of vacancies for any given month includes both new vacancies and those that are on-going.

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints of racial abuse have been (a) investigated and (b) upheld in his Department in each of the last five years. [70554]

25 July 2006 : Column 1350W

John Healey: The Treasury has well published policies on unacceptable behaviour including racial abuse, which make it clear that such behaviour is a disciplinary offence.

The procedures for investigating complaints of racial abuse have been initiated less than five times in each of the last five years. Numbers are therefore not available on the grounds of confidentiality.

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many websites there are within his responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available. [79073]

John Healey: The annual costs for the period 2005-06 for each website for which the Treasury and its agencies are responsible are as follows:

25 July 2006 : Column 1351W

25 July 2006 : Column 1352W

Department/agency	Website address	Direct costs (£)
HM Treasury	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk	100,355
HM Treasury Invest to Save Budget website	www.isb.gov.uk	10,575
HM Treasury campaign sites	www.euro.gov.uk	18,997
	www.ges.gov.uk
	www.wga.gov.uk
	www.csren.gov.uk
	www.opg.gov.uk
	www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk
	www.financial-reporting.gov.uk
	www.stakeholdersaving.gov.uk
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs	www.hmrc.gov.uk	(1)934,078
	www.taxevasionhotline.co.uk	(1)4,800
	www.ctfhelp.com	(1)3,288
	www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk	(2)—
Debt Management Office	www.dmo.gov.uk	(1)35,718
	www.crnd.gov.uk
	www.pwlb.gov.uk
OGC	www.ogc.gov.uk	(1)92,850
OGC buying solutions	www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk	(1)136,300
	www.sustainablesolutions.gov.uk
	www.s-cat.gov.uk
Government Actuaries Department	www.gad.gov.uk	(1)2,115
Valuation Office Agency	www.voa.gov.uk	(3)351,001
	www.mybusinessrates.gov.uk	4,100
National Savings and Investments	www.nsandi.com	(1)1,392,882
Royal Mint	www.royalmint.com	(1)78,789
	www.royalmint.gov.uk
	www.royalmintwholesale.com
Office for National Statistics	www.statistics.gov.uk	(1)1,800,000
	www.statistics.gov.uk/PBC
	www.statistics.gov.uk/about
	www.stats4schools.gov.uk
	www.gro.gov.uk
	www.cip.gov.uk
	www.eustatistics.gov.uk
	www.ness.gov.uk
( 1 )Indicates that staff costs are included. ( 2 )Costs included in main site. ( 3 )Plus VAT. Notes: 1. These figures include all direct costs, for example web hosting, software support, infrastructure. We have not been able to include indirect costs, such as office accommodation, without incurring excessive research costs. 2. Staff costs (including figures for salary, pension, superannuation and overtime) have not been included in every instance due to excessive cost for research. 3. HM Treasury is committed to the Transformational Government Strategy which sets out plans to rationalise governmental web presence and limit the number web addresses for each Department. We are currently reviewing all Treasury websites, and Treasury agency sites to minimise the number currently registered. 4. Costs of hosting the HMRC site are significantly higher than most Government websites because of the high visitor rate. Since merger, the site has had 294.1 million page visits and 30.4 million unique visitors.

Disabled People

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Government procurement policy in promoting good practice regarding equal opportunities for disabled people; [88887]

(2) what account Government procurement takes of suppliers' employment conditions in relation to disabled workers; and if he will make a statement. [88890]

John Healey: All public procurement decisions should be based on value for money and be conducted in line with the EU procurement rules. Within this framework, there is scope to take account of other factors, such as those related to disability equality, where they are relevant to the subject of the contract. The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) offers advice and guidance to Departments on the scope to take account of such factors in the procurement process. However, Departments are responsible for their own procurement decisions, in line with the legal and policy framework outlined above, the obligations of the new duty to promote disability equality, which are set out in a Code of Practice, and their own objectives.

Public procurement law includes a provision enabling contracting authorities to reserve contracts for supported businesses and factories employing more than 50 per cent. disabled people.

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