Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to reduce energy costs in the Law Officers' Departments; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Buckland
Since 2010/11 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has reduced its energy emissions by approximately 35%. This has been achieved through the reduction in the size of its estate and various energy efficiency measures. During the same period electricity prices have risen by approximately 33% and gas by 47%. However, the reduction in usage has meant that total CPS energy costs have reduced by 3% over this period. More details about CPS energy costs can be found on page 20 of its 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts which is available online at:
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is committed working towards meeting the Greening Government Commitment targets which started on 1 April 2011 with a baseline period of 2009-10. The SFO is now ahead of all of its targets including those relating to energy costs. This is principally due to a move from its old premises on two sites to a single building on Cockspur Street. More details of the SFO’s performance at meeting its targets can be found in Annex A of its Annual Report and Accounts which is published online at;
Full details of the steps taken by the Attorney General’s Office, Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and to reduce energy costs can be found in Annex A of the TSol Annual Report and Accounts 13-14 (HC paper number 1262). This is published online at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tsol-ago-hmcpsi-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-14
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, if he will estimate the annual cost to the Law Officers' Departments of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The stationery and postage costs incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members are not seperately identifiable from general office stationery and postage costs.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, if he will take steps to increase the number of replies within the Law Officers' Departments' working day standard; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Buckland
Performance in meeting targets is kept under regular review by Ministers and senior management in the Law Officer’s Departments, and every effort is being made to ensure that levels of performance are maintained or improved upon.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, if he will review the Law Officers' Departments departmental estate in order to reduce costs; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been engaged in a programme of estate reduction since 2010 which has reduced the annual running cost of its estate by £9.32m. This has been achieved by reducing the size of the estate from 95 buildings in 2010 to 59 sites, 15 of which are currently vacant or being used as storage and business continuity sites.
The CPS Estate Rationalisation Programme will continue into 2016 and by the end of 2016 the department expects to reduce the size of the estate to approximately 35 occupied buildings and 10 vacant sites with leases due to expire, reducing running costs by a further £10m per annum.
The other Law Officers’ Departments do not have sizable estates but have made significant efforts to reduce their estate running costs since 2010, including initiatives such as relocation to more cost effective properties and sharing premises with other organisations. The departmental estate costs of all departments are continually kept under review.
Full details on the size of the Government estate - including the Law Officers’ Departments - can be found in the latest State of the Estate Report (SofTE) which reports annually on progress made during the year in improving the efficiency of the Government’s Civil Estate. This is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/state-of-the-estate