§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of(a) paper and (b) other goods purchased by her Department was recycled paper in each year since 1997; what the annual total cost of these purchases was; what plans there are to increase these proportions; and if he will make a statement. [65764]
§ Ms HewittThe proportion and cost of recycled paper purchased is as follows:
Year Proportion of recycled per cent Annual Cost (£) 1997–98 18 55,333 1998–99 11 36,999 1999–2000 44 104,817 2000–01 61 137,985 2001–02 68 141,540 Information on the proportion of recycled paper in other goods purchased is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Cash terms 14,172 14,470 14,781 15,582 16,663 Real terms 15.827 15,656 15,551 15,940 16,663 (base year = 1999) The percentage funded privately (businesses and private non-profit organisations) and publicly
1244WI am fully committed to increasing the proportion of recycled paper that is being used and my Department is working closely with our stationery supplier to achieve this. An environmental switch programme was recently introduced for the purchase of copier paper via the on-line stationery ordering system. This involves an automatic switch to the recycled option whenever copier paper is selected.