HC Deb 10 November 2003 vol 413 cc99-100W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of(a) male and (b) female prisoners have been imprisoned for consequent increase in the size of the estate and the rollout of new IT systems throughout the prison service. They are also anticipating that increased education, training and other regime opportunities for prisoners and more intensive use of existing facilities will also cause consumption to rise.

Although the prison service is anticipating a rise in total consumption for the reasons outlined above, they are aiming at reducing their consumption per inmate. They have set emission targets for each establishment using benchmarks. Efforts to improve energy efficiency are concentrated on those establishments with the worst benchmarked energy performance with a view to all establishments achieving the best practice benchmark.

The core Department is currently planning a publicity campaign aimed at encouraging its office based staff to switch off lights, IT and office machinery when not in use. Environmental Management Systems are also being introduced across the estate and these will address issues such as energy efficiency. The new Home Office headquarters building includes a contractual requirement to achieve energy consumption at least 10 per cent. below the best practice benchmark for headquarters buildings in the Government's energy efficient best practice programme energy consumption guide.