Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to reduce water (a) usage and (b) bills in the Law Officers' Departments; and if he will make a statement.

In line with the requirements of the Greening Government Commitment Targets, the Law Officers’ Departments are taking steps to reduce water consumption and costs. Reductions have been achieved through a range of measures including the introduction of water meters and water flow restrictors to reduce usage in washrooms. Reductions in the size of the estate and in staff numbers have also contributed to the decline in water consumption.

Against the 2009/10 benchmark of 69,068 cubic metres, consumption was reduced by 40% to 41,164 cubic metres by the end of reporting year 2012/13. Projections for reporting year 2013/14 indicate further improvement.

Specific information on the Law Officers’ Departments consumption of water and any associated expenditure during the last financial year is published in their respective Annual Report and Resource Accounts. These also detail actions undertaken to reduce usage. Copies of these are already available in the Library of the House or can found on the https://www.gov.uk/ website.