HC Deb 10 June 2002 vol 386 cc1014-5W
Ms Shipley

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many PFI capital projects fall under the responsibility of her Department; what the capital value and nature of each project is; and what stage they are at in the PFI procurement process. [59835]

Dr. Howells

My Department has not itself entered into any PFI or PPP contracts. The Royal Parks Agency, which is an executive agency, has entered into one PFI contracts, Pembroke Lodge, Richmond, relating to the restoration of building and operation of catering facilities. Its capital value is £1 million. This contract has been operational since 1997. The British Library, which is an executive NDPB, has entered into one PFI contract, to provide a full catering and events facility. Its capital value is £0.9 million, and has been operational since 1997.

Ms Shipley

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many non-PFI capital projects fall under the responsibility of her Department and related NDPBs; and what the capital value and nature is of each project. [59816]

Dr. Howells

The Department undertakes directly only a small number of low value non-PFI capital projects each year to improve the working environment for staff, to enable it to meet its electronic service delivery commitments, and to improve communications with its NDPBs.

The Royal Parks Agency has one non-PFI capital project planned in the current year involving the replacement of catering facilities at St. James' park. The capital value is £3.2 million.

The Department provides support to its NDPBs through grant-in-aid finance capital expenditure. In addition to this source of funding NDPBs supplement their funding with donations and sponsorship from individuals and corporate bodies, funding from the National Lottery and other sources. The Department does not hold centrally information on all the non-PFI capital projects undertaken by its NDPBs. However, the Departmental Investment Strategy (DIS), published and printed separately as an outcome of the 2000 spending review, describes the Department's strategic plans for both new investment and for the use of existing assets. The DIS can be viewed on the website: www.culture.gov.uk.