HC Deb 14 March 2002 vol 381 cc1221-2W
Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which consultant was used to advise on the installation of air conditioning during the recent refurbishment of 50 Queen Anne's Gate; [41160]

(2) what measures were taken to ensure that the consultant advising on the installation of air conditioning during the recent refurbishment of 50 Queen Anne's Gate was aware of the Government's policy on the use of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in air-conditioning; and if he will make a statement on the measures taken by the consultant to source practical and safe alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon-based air-conditioning; [41161]

(3) whether an installer capable of installing not-in-kind air conditioning was invited to quote for the recent refurbishment contract for 50 Queen Anne's Gate. [41159]

Angela Eagle

The air conditioning central chiller plant in 50 Queen Anne's Gate was replaced last year, because the old plant contained Chlorofluorocarbons, which were banned from 31 December 2000. This project did not form part of a larger refurbishment.

The procurement of the replacement chillers was handled using the standard procurement procedures for works contracts below the value of £3.6 million. Consultant engineers, Torpy Management (now known as Halcrow) and the Facilities Management Contractors, Johnson Controls, were asked to select five firms established in this particular field to tender. Another firm chaired by the right hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal (Mr. Gummer) offering an innovative environmentally friendly solution approached our consultants. This firm was seriously considered, but was not invited to tender, because our consultants considered that the alternative offered would have increased the cost and project risk unacceptably. The building work required in an occupied building would have been more extensive. In making this decision, the consultants took advice from the then Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (now part of the Office of Government Commerce) and experts within their own organisation.

The consultants were aware of the Home Office's Greening Operations Policy, which advised that environmentally friendly alternatives to Hydrofluorocarbons should be used where feasible. It was their view that a safe, technically feasible and cost-effective environmentally preferable solution did not exist in this particular case, taking into account that the building is in need of a major overall refurbishment and the Department's plans to relocate to 2 Marsham Street in three to four years' time. However, the firms that were asked to tender were invited to offer environmentally innovative solutions—none did so and the contract was awarded in October 2000 to a firm using a standard environmentally compliant refrigerant containing Hydrofluorocarbons.

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