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15 July 2008 : Column 266W—continued
GIS—DSI Greenspace Phase 2
Communities' LINK IT Upgrade—Project Assurance Manager
Deprivation Index Mapping Tool
Places Database—Interim 1 Year SLA for support and maintenance
TGDU Data Analyst
TGDU Programme Systems Executive
PP eConsultation Development Project Manager
Planning Portal Adobe Forms Development
Data Interchange Hub
GIS Training
National Register of Social Housing—Database Programmer
FIRS—Tech QA—XML Schema—Renewal
Data Interchange Hub—Project Manager
TESA Website—Modifications
Planning Portal eConsultation—Tech support
Planning Portal—Adobe Forms Development for 1-APP
Planning Portal—Planning 360—Logical Design Requirement
DIH—Project Administrator
DSI Intelligent Address Matching
Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) Technical Support
Corporate IT Provision—Strategic IT Support
IT Outsourcing
CLG Web Hosting
CLG Web Rationalisation
National Resilience Extranet.
The Department agencies have reported the following:
(a) Fire Service College has only had the following IT contract entered into during the last two years in December 2007 for a Managed Learning System infrastructure and support services.
(b) Ordnance Survey has let the following contracts:
Imagery Web Hosting Services
Customer facing web-based Map Services
Oracle Professional Services framework
GIS Development Project
Electronic Document Record Management solution
‘Outdoor Exploration’ web-based portal
Master Vendor Agency for IT Contractor Resource.
However details of all their IT contracts could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
(c) Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has let one contract—Meeting Matrix—which is for the purchase and installation of room diagramming and imaging software to facilitate the planning of conference and exhibition events.
(d) Planning Inspectorate awarded the following IT contracts the last two financial years 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008 (PQ 4317):
MS enterprise agreement
ISS Information Service
PCS Cardiff WAN Upgrade
Electronic Business Model
Programme Manager Software Tool
IT Security
GTN Contract
Collaborative Document Working and Consultation Software/System for RSS
Technology Refreshment Laptops
Information Back-up Review
Technology Refreshment Desktop PCs.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her Department’s staff have access to the Department’s IT infrastructure at home. [216371]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government have 891 staff who have full remote access to the IT infrastructure. Some of these staff will use these devices from home and others will use them while on the move, or when working at other locations.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the change in the number of employees in her Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. [217069]
Mr. Dhanda: The following table shows the change in the number of employees in the Department for Communities and Local Government since July 2006:
| Number of employees | |||
| July 2006 | July 2007 | July 2008 | |
Departmental Records: Lost Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department’s lost laptop held in relation to the Planning Bill. [216015]
Mr. Dhanda: A desk-top computer was stolen from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s constituency office. The matter is now subject to a police investigation.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many reviews of regulation her Department and its agencies has conducted or commenced since July 2007; and in which areas. [210886]
Mr. Dhanda: Since July 2007 the Department has reviewed 20 specific pieces of regulations covering Building Regulations, Fire, Housing, Local Government and Planning. We are also putting in place arrangements for the timely review of our Bills and Acts in line with “Post Legislative Scrutiny: the Government’s Approach” published in May 2008. The new impact assessment process introduced in May 2007, also places increased emphasis on the post-implementation review of our policies.
Departmental Sick Leave
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many working days have been lost due to sickness among employees for which her Department and its predecessor were responsible for each year since 1997. [218030]
Mr. Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office series of reports “Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service” available in the House of Commons Library. However, there are no reported figures for 1997 and 1998.
Departmental Wastes
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215913]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has taken numerous steps over the last two years to reduce its volume of general waste produced and sent for incineration. The measures taken have included:
Reducing the number of personal general waste bins, to encourage staff to produce less waste and to dispose of recyclable materials in the appropriate facilities provided.
In headquarter buildings, plastic bottle recycling has been replaced by a system of 'total plastics recycling' enabling all common plastic polymers to be recycled, not just those used for bottles.
Introducing mobile phone and waste electronic and electrical equipment recycling systems, in addition to the standard recycling provisions such as paper, cardboard, glass and cans.
Organic waste recycling was also extended, enabling staff to compost waste in tea points of HQ buildings. This facility is also provided in kitchens and restaurant areas.
The number of printers has also been reduced to encourage less printing.
Communications campaigns are run at various intervals to remind staff to recycle; this has included focusing on avoiding
the use of single use plastic bags and holding a 'Sustainability Month' during which staff were reminded to make full use of recycling facilities provided.
An environmental champions network has been established comprising staff volunteers who encourage their colleagues to foster more sustainable practices in the office, such as reducing waste production and recycling more.
Plastic food containers in staff restaurants have been replaced with biodegradable alternatives.
Major office furniture replacement projects have included ensuring redundant office furniture is disposed of by Green Works. Green Works is a not for profit social enterprise which redirects second hand furniture to third sector organisations such as schools and charities. The replacement office furniture has been selected ensuring a high level of reuse and recyclability to enable future general waste levels to be minimised.
Communities also relaunched its reusable water bottling scheme in its main HQ building. Instead of buying mineral water in glass bottles, the Department bottles filtered tap water on site in reusable glass bottles. This not only minimises waste but, similar to many sustainable waste solutions, reduces carbon dioxide emissions associated with waste treatment and transportation.
The Department will continue to identify further waste solutions to improve its future performance.
Digital Broadcasting
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessments her Department has made of the performance of the digital television initiatives in Kirklees, Hull and Glasgow referred to in the minutes of the Emerging Technologies Group meeting on 27 February. [217165]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Kirklees digital TV initiative was developed as part of the local e-government programme. In 2006, at the end of the programme, an assessment of the business case was undertaken. The business case continues to be revised annually on the basis of the experience of the 70+ local authorities who continue to use the service, now branded ‘DigiTV’. The latest published business case can be found online at:
Independent external evaluations of the programme in Kingston upon Hull are currently being undertaken both by the University of Hull and by York St John. These will report later in the year.
The Department has no responsibility for the digital television initiative being developed in Glasgow.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department has provided for the digital television initiatives in Kirklees, Hull and Glasgow referred to in the minutes of the Emerging Technologies Group meeting of 27 February 2008. [215267]
Mr. Iain Wright: In total, £3,768,000 of funding was provided to develop the Kirklees initiative, which formed part of the local e-government programme. This initiative is now entirely self-sustaining and no longer relies on funding from central Government.
The Kingston upon Hull project has been allocated £30,000 from the overall award which was made to the
runners-up in the Department’s 2007 Digital Challenge competition to enable them to develop their key projects.
CLG has no responsibility for the Glasgow digital television initiative.
European Union Solidarity Fund
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the amount that the UK will receive from the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist in recovery from floods in 2007. [217835]
Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
The EU budgetary authority have approved €162.4 million in EUSF assistance for the UK in relation to the summer 2007 flooding. The sterling value of this grant will be determined at the time the funds are made available.
Fire Services: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost, including VAT, has been of consultants' fees for the FiReControl project, broken down by consultancy; and which of these costs will be included in the business case. [217128]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 8 July 2008]: Total project spend on consultants to the end of June 2008 was £38.6 million inclusive of VAT. The following table gives a breakdown by company:
| £ | |
| Company name | Costs to date |
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