Equipment Leasing (Hansard, 18 March 2002)

§ The Solicitor-General

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The costs of the equipment leasing arrangements entered into by my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, in the last four years are included in the Treasury Solicitor's Department figures.

In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:

Crown Prosecution Service

The Crown Prosecution Service has equipment leasing arrangements for reprographic equipment. The expenditure for each of the last four financial years has been as follows:

£1,132,260 in 1998–99
£1,306,327 in 1999–2000
£1,378,663 in 2000–01
£1,001,299 in 2001–02 (to date).

The Crown Prosecution Service has had contracts with various reprographics suppliers during the period in question. These contracts provide a range of services including the rental of machinery, managed print room services and the provision of maintenance.

The expenditure quoted for reprographics includes all elements of the services including copy costs. It has not been possible to determine the costs of the equipment rentals themselves from the centrally held data.

Treasury Solicitor's Department

The Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers have entered into equipment leasing arrangements for photocopying facilities. The costs in each of the last four years were as follows:

Treasury Solicitor's Department

£76,728 in 1998–99
£45,884 in 1999–2000
£101,612 in 2000–01
£71,879 in 2001–02 (to date)

Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

£7,804 in 1998–99
£6,875 in 1999–2000
£6,151 in 2000–01
£1,972 in 2001–02 (to date).

Serious Fraud Office

The cost of the equipment "leasing arrangements" entered into by the Serious Fraud Office in the last four years is as follows:

Photocopiers

£146,895.33 in 1997–98
£98,184.79 in 1998–99
£118,237.36 in 1999–2000
£53,070.75 in 2000–01

Office Equipment

£0 in 1997–98
£0 in 1998–99
£69.33 in 1999–2000
£423.01 in 2000–01

12W

Fax Machines

£0 in 1997–98
£636.72 in 1998–99
£699.58 in 1999–2000
£0 in 2000–01.

Much of the equipment is held on short-term hire arrangements rather than on leasing arrangements.