HC Deb 21 June 2004 vol 422 cc1194-5W
Mr. Roger Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost per square metre of providing office and storage space for the National Probation Service in Central London was in 2003. [177734]

Paul Goggins

[holding answer 10 June 2004]: The cost of providing office and storage space in 2002–03 for the London Probation Area was £11,726,000, equivalent to £223 per square metre.

With effect from 2003–04, all costs across the whole of the National Probation Estate were paid centrally and pooled. The national average cost per square metre was set at £180.

The London Probation Area had their grant reduced by £1,734,000 in recognition of the fact that their costs have been reduced as a consequence of the national pooling arrangement.