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29 Sep 2008 : Column 2365W—continued
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219584]
Mrs. McGuire: The purchase of alcohol for hospitality purposes is provided as an exception only and then with the specific written authority only of a small number of designated senior civil servants. The Department for Work and Pensions does not currently monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. Such expenditure is included within the hospitality account.
All expenditure on alcohol and entertaining falls within the classification “Hospitality” and is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219934]
Mrs. McGuire: There is no purchasing process in use by the Department for Work and Pensions for the purchase of alcohol for hospitality purposes due to the fact that alcohol is provided as an exception only and then with the specific written authority only of a small number of designated senior civil servants.
All expenditure on alcohol and entertaining falls within the classification “Hospitality” and is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Appeals
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions his Department and its predecessor instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from (a) the Court of Appeal and (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected. [220813]
Mrs. McGuire: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Aviation
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individual domestic air flights were undertaken within Great Britain by representatives of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in the most recent year for which figures are available; and at what cost. [215561]
Mrs. McGuire: The number of UK domestic flights undertaken by representatives of the Department and its agencies from April 2007 to March 2008 is provided in the following table. Information in relation to flights undertaken within Great Britain only is not held by the Department.
Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.
| Agency/Department | Number of flights | Cost (£) |
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his Department’s policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it (a) rents and (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years; [221090]
(2) what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to (a) rent and (b) purchase those buildings. [221106]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department is working to meet the energy efficiency targets within the targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) and that is to increase energy efficiency per m(2) by 15 per cent. by 2010 relative to 1999-2000 levels. In the Department’s case this would equate to 260.1 kWh/m(2).
The following table provides the performance of the Department against the energy efficiency target:
| kWh/m( 2) | |
| Note: The figures from 1998 to 2002 are compiled from data for the former Department for Social Security and Employment Service. Figures for 2007-08 are subject to confirmation. | |
The Department acquires fully serviced accommodation from Land Securities Trillium (LST) under PFI—private finance initiative—arrangements. Any new space the Department requires is identified, acquired, managed and operated by LST to meet the Department’s needs. The improved energy efficiency of our total operations is one of a range of issues that is considered in the acquisition of new space. Ease of access for customers and the requirements for highly efficient office space (both existing and new build) are among other criteria.
Energy efficiency is incentivised within the PFI arrangement and is incorporated also within the Department’s Estate Strategy. Specific measures to improve efficiency are detailed within the Department’s three year Sustainable Development Action Plan, which is incorporated within its Sustainable Development Annual Report for 2007.
While the Department’s increased use of IT and extended opening hours, to provide a better service to customers and improved facilities for staff, has impacted on our energy efficiency, a planned programme of work is in place to meet the carbon from offices and energy efficiency targets. The Department has secured investment for 41,000 ‘spend-to-save’ measures through its PFI arrangements and is installing Smart Meters in its largest 700 buildings to improve reporting and energy management. These measures, together with an intensive energy efficiency and communications campaign, have resulted in absolute carbon emission reductions of 10.8 per cent. in 2007-08. Their ongoing implementation, together with improved governance and a review of site plant and equipment, mean that the Department predicts a further reduction of 15 per cent. by 2011, meeting the Sustainable Operations target.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's IT (a) systems and (b) services conform to the ISO 27001 standard. [216057]
Mr. Timms: In-service IT systems and managed services take full account of the Department's policies and procedures for information security management, which conform to the principles and controls in ISO 27001. Systems that were implemented before the ISO standard was introduced are currently being reviewed for conformance with the Department's policies and procedures.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date and (c) actual completion date was of each IT project completed by his Department and its agencies since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [221502]
(2) what the (a) original planned cost and (b) actual cost was for each information technology project completed by his Department and its agencies since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [221503]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 22 July 2008]: We would refer to our previous responses:
PQ/08/200070 (answered 25 April 2008, Official Report, columns 2354-56W):
“To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on IT projects since 2005; and what estimate he has made of its total expenditure on IT projects between 2005 and 2010”
PQ/08/180577 (answered 5 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2591-96W):
“To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) start date (b) original planned completion date (c) current expected completion date (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement”
The costs of answering the above question would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Manpower
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a table showing the profile of the Department's staff by grade in (a) total and (b) each business unit. [219497]
Mrs. McGuire: The following tables show the profile of the Department's staff by grade in (a) total and (b) each business unit as at 30 June 2008.
| Table 1: Individual employees | ||||||
| Number | ||||||
| Grade | Jobcentre Plus | Child Support Agency | Pension and Disability Carers Service | The Rent Service | Rest of DWP | Total |
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