Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many desks are in his Department's main building; how many such desks are (a) owned and (b) leased by his Department; and what the cost is per desk of leasing.

My Department’s main building is at 2 Marsham Street, as part of our recent relocation to share a building with the Home Office. This move will save £220 million of taxpayers’ money over the lifetime of the building’s lease commitments. The building is owned and managed by the Home Office’s Private Finance Initiative provider.

My Department occupies 977 desks in this building; three of our Arms Length Bodies are also based in the building to save money, and occupy a further 253 desks. Our old building of Eland House had 2,423 desks as of March 2010 (some of which were sub-let).

DCLG now employs a 7:10 desk ratio (7 desks for every 10 members of staff).

I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 November 2014, PQ 213772, on the broader savings we have made from the rationalisation of the departmental estate.