Environmental Sustainability (Hansard, 22 July 2004)

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage; [182214]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of (a) the sustainability of environmental impacts of private finance initiative projects and (b) the capacity of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects; [182215]
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(3) what plans he has to make private finance initiative contracts more accountable and transparent in terms of environmental sustainability. [182216]

§ Fiona Mactaggart
Guidance for Departments on how to include environmental considerations within PFI and PPP projects is set out in Green Public Private Partnerships, issued in 2002. A memorandum of understanding, signed by the Home Office Green Minister and the Director General of the Prison Service, requires all new prisons (including those constructed under PFI) to introduce a sustainable development policy and to be managed in an environmentally sound way.
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certificates are obtained for major new buildings. The new Home Office in 2 Marsham Street received the BREEAM excellent level certification of its design in June 2004. Excellent is the highest category certification. Once operational it will be managed under an accredited environmental management system.
The Home Office is committed to the targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. The biodiversity, energy and waste sections of the framework require Departments to include clauses relating to sustainable development issues in relevant contracts, including PFIs. Future sections of the framework are likely to include similar provisions on other environmental issues.
From 1 April 2004 all Departments have been required to explicitly identify any significant environmental and social costs and benefits when carrying out a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). This will cover RIAs carried out on new PFI/PPP projects.

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what parts of his Department's estate will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. [182222]

§ Fiona Mactaggart
As set out in the departmental website statement of September 2002 the sites not covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate are those where one of the following apply:(a) the Department is not the major occupier, (b) the floor area of the site is less than 1,000 sq m or (c) the site has less than 50 staff.
This accounts for some, 150 office sites in the main Home Office, some 850 probation office sites, approximately 10 non-operational Prison Service establishments or premises and one UK Passport Agency site.

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken by his Department to review arrangements for public reporting for sustainable development impacts. [182223]

§ Fiona Mactaggart
The Department has developed a series of departmental sustainable development indicators, which monitor and record progress These are published on the Home Office website and can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/susdevindicators.html. The Home Office also reports sustainable development592W progress in the Home Office annual report and through the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports. Prison Service progress is covered by its own dedicated sustainable development report.

§ Mr. Oaten
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in(a) road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions and (b) single occupancy car commuting from his Department against the baseline year in the framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. [182224]

§ Fiona Mactaggart
The Home Office collected baseline data for business mileage in 2002–03 which showed that staff travelled 12,908,999 miles. Data for 2003–04 has not been collated yet. In an effort to reduce business mileage the Home Office has committed toReview current levels of mileage payment The policy relating to payment of mileage claims The scope for providing incentives for use of alternatively fuelled vehicles Promote the use of video-conferencing facilities Collect baseline data on the use of hire cars with a view to reducing their use
A survey undertaken in 2003 showed that there were 27,146 car park spaces at Home Office sites. These included 21,158 spaces held for the Prison Service, some 3,033 held for the Immigration Service and 1,934 for the Probation Service. The Department is committed to making reasonable efforts to reduce the number of spaces.