HC Deb 05 December 1994 vol 251 cc11-2W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department and Government agencies answerable to his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences.

Mr. Gummer

Disaggregated information of this nature is not available; such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure budget for the Department, details of which were given in reply to a question from the hon. member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 24 October 1994,Official Report, column 405.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time, to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.

Mr. Gummer

A total of 740 official Christmas cards have been ordered for the six Ministers in the Department of the Environment. Printing costs for these will be £318.20, which includes a donation to charity and also value added tax. The unit cost will be 43p. Postages are estimated to be £140.60. Information on the cost of staff time signing, addressing and placing into envelopes is not available. I will place a sample of this year's card in the Library.