§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the(a) capital and (b) running costs of mobile phones in his Department were in each year since 2001. [185291]
§ Fiona Mactaggart[holding answer 20 July 2004]: The accounting policy of the Home Office is to only capitalise assets whose cost is greater than £5,000. Mobile phones purchased as part of a contract are treated as a revenue expense.
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Central Home Office and IND (excluding agencies) 9,358 8,037 7,711 9,270 13,020 13,550 16,540 Fire Service College 215 253 188 180 190 — — Forensic Science Service 1,185 1,238 1,638 1,780 2,190 2,420 2,660 United Kingdom Passport Agency 1,407 1,276 1,245 1,320 2,270 2,770 2,600 Prison Service 37,704 39,363 38,719 40,560 41,940 41,780 43,210 Home Office Total 49,869 50,167 49,501 53,113 59,610 60,520 65,010 In accordance with the policy objectives of the spending review and strategic plan commitments to staff cuts, we are streamlining departmental Head-Quarters (HQ) and reducing staff numbers by 30 per cent. in order to focus resources on the front-line. We are committed to similar reductions in the HQ of Corrections and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Reducing our HQ staff numbers by 2,700 full-time equivalents will free up around £100 million in real terms to be spent on the front-line.