§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total running costs for buildings used, owned or rented by his Department for each nation and region of the UK, and estimate the average cost per square metre for properties used by his Department as a whole, and by region and nation of the UK. [6849]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownThe vast majority of buildings on the former DSS part of the estate are rented to the Department by our private sector partner, Land Securities Trillium. Under the PRIME PFI agreement, the Department pays Land Securities Trillium a unitary charge (the "Facilities Price") for each building and receives serviced office accommodation in return. The Facilities Price covers not only the space we occupy but also a large number of building related services. These are:
The first table shows the information requested in respect of the Facilities Price, utility charges and business rates for all PRIME buildings where the former DSS are the major occupier. The information is broken down geographically according to nation and former DSS regional boundaries. Details of the corresponding charges paid for the former DSS minor occupancies and non-PRIME buildings are not currently held centrally. These charges are paid for and monitored locally.839W
- building management and maintenance (including Customer Service Centre)
838W - internal and external cleaning security (including facilities and equipment)
- catering (including facilities and equipment)
- provision and maintenance of furniture and equipment
- energy and utilities management
- landscape maintenance
- porterage
- waste management.
The second table gives details of the running costs of buildings on the former Employment Service part of the estate. This includes both major and minor occupancies but excludes sub-lets. Information is again provided geographically both on a national and regional basis but is dictated this time by former ES regional boundaries. Running costs on the former ES part of the Estate include all maintenance work (i.e. scheduled, reactive and planned) and minor new works, rents, rates and service charges, cleaning and utilities. These costs are lower than the charges paid by the former DSS as the ES part of the
Former DSS part of the estate Region Total (£) Total business square metre (BSM) Average charge £ per BSM AD1 East London and Anglia 15,330,376.48 68,774.93 222.91 AD2 Chilterns 20,280,484.46 82,990.12 244.37 AD3 London South 40,736,959.46 157,615.80 258.46 AD4 West Country 15,998,514.95 97,521.38 164.05 AD5 Mercia 13,298,357.23 67,939.49 195.74 AD6 West Midlands 20,321,903.99 96,948.44 209.62 AD8 North West Coast 40,967,353.38 227,128.26 180.37 AD9 Greater Manchester 16,979,155.53 102,333.26 165.92 ADIO Yorkshire 22,340,174.39 106,328.42 210.11 AD11 Tyne Tees 10,942,784.64 57,915.70 188.94 England total 217,196,064.51 1,065,495.79 203.85 AD7 Wales 12,999,568.66 71,045.14 182.98 Wales total 12,999,568.66 71,045.14 182.98 AD12 West of Scotland 17,507,560.03 70,120.37 249.68 AD13 East of Scotland 18,785,521.46 82,764.49 226.98 Scotland total 36,293,081.49 152,884.87 237.39 Grand total 266,488,714.66 1,289,425.79 206.67 All charges are exact for the last financial year. The total business square metres is based on the properties that were occupied as at March 2001.
840W
Former ES part of the estate Region Total running costs (£) Total business square metre (BSM) Average charge £ per BSM Head Office (Sheffield) 6,334,095 2,9055.10 218.00 Northern 7,772,273 56,815.62 136.80 North West 15,194,904 114,036.09 133.25 Yorkshire and Humber 9,944,152 74,326.63 133.79 East Midlands 9,582,156 70,122.84 136.65 West Midlands 14,027,018 90,138.49 155.62 London and South East 55,911,412 263,813.39 211.94 South West 12,431,947 78,718.82 157.93 England total 131,197,957 777,026.98 168.85 Wales 7,046,413 60,990.66 115.53 Wales total 7,046,413 60,990.66 115.53 Scotland 16,694,086 98,797.07 168.97 Scotland total 16,694,086 98,797.07 168.97 Grand total 154,938,456 936,815 165.39 estate was not subject to a PFI agreement and does not therefore benefit from the full range of services provided as under the PRIME agreement. Nor has the risk inherent in the buildings and its associated cost been transferred to a PFI provider.
Details of services, such as post opening and despatch, reprographics and switchboard etc., which are traditionally regarded as business rather than building-related services, (and the cost of furniture and security for the former ES) have been excluded from both tables as we are unable to present the information in the same format.
All charges are exact for the last financial year. The total business square metres is based on the properties that were occupied as at March 2001.