Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 11390 on Cabinet Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on each of those refurbishments.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Ministerial Offices in 70 Whitehall, redecorated due to water damage in April 2023, cost a total of £19,956.50 exclusive of VAT.
The redecoration of the Ministerial Waiting Room in 70 Whitehall with furniture alterations (partly necessary due to historic mould issues, and completed in November 2023) cost a total of £13,359.11 exclusive of VAT.
The decoration of the Ministerial corridor (due to complete in March 2024) is taking place as part of planned building-wide programme of annual maintenance. As part of this programme, a number of corridors throughout the building are being repainted. Therefore it is not possible to distinguish the cost of the redecoration of the Ministerial corridor from the wider programme.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department was created on 7 February 2023. Since then, the ministerial offices were moved to collocate them with the Department’s Secretary of State, but this did not involve the refurbishment of any office space.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There has been no refurbishment of the Ministry of Justice’s ministerial offices in the last two years.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department was created on 7 February 2023, and following this its ministers moved into a new Government Property Agency (GPA) Hub building at 55 Whitehall, London. GPA refurbished the ministerial office space in 55 Whitehall ahead of the Department's moving into the building.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to his Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has not had any ministerial red boxes reported lost or stolen in the last three years. The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Refurbishments made to ministerial offices in Defra (all in Marsham Street, London) in each of the last two years have been:
Each of these refurbishments strives to strike a balance between value for the taxpayer and ensuring that staff are able to do their job effectively.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No refurbishments have been undertaken to Ministerial Offices in the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the amount of interest that has been accrued on frozen Russian assets seized by the UK Government.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK Sanctions legislation does not provide powers to seize frozen assets. Assets owned or controlled by a designated person are frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury, therefore no interest has been accrued by the UK Government on frozen Russian assets.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I can confirm that for calendar years 2022 / 2023, to date, there has been no refurbishment and nil investment (£0) in the ministerial offices located in the DWP Corporate Sites London, Caxton House and Leeds, Quarry House.