Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting throughout his Department's buildings and sites; if he will estimate the proportion of lighting in his Department which is LED; and if he will make a statement.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to meeting the Greener Government Commitments and to reducing the energy use of its operations. As part of that commitment the FCO continues to replace all obsolete light fittings and fittings that are affected by major refurbishment projects with Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), provided a suitable LED variant is available and it represents the best solution for the application.

Currently the estimated proportion of LEDs within the FCO’s UK estate is:

Carlton Gardens = 65%
Hanslope Park = 5%
King Charles Street = 20%
Lancaster House = 70%
Northgate House = 13%
Old Admiralty Building = 4%

These figures will increase significantly as more LEDs are installed in King Charles Street as part of the FCO’s UK Estate Reform Project, due for completion in 2015. In addition, the FCO’s forward maintenance programme continues to identify any additional areas where LEDs or improved lighting systems can be introduced as more cost effective applications.

This response relates to the FCO’s UK estate only. To provide answers on behalf of the FCO’s Diplomatic Missions would incur a disproportionate cost.