§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much(a) electricity and (b) other energy his Department and its predecessors has used in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans he has to reduce usage; and if he will make a statement. [135048]
§ Mr. LammyFor the amount of energy consumed each year since 1997, in total, and per square metre for my Department I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 3 November 2003,Official Report, column 403W. This is based on annual returns provided by this Department.
My Department only forecasts energy usage for the forthcoming financial year and the current forecast for 2004–05 are set out in the following table. This table also includes details of our actual consumption for 2002–03 and our forecast consumption for 2003–04.
Consumption (GWH) Fossil Electricity 2002–031 104.5 264.6 2003–04 95.7 61.7 2004–05 97.7 67.4 1 The figures for 2002–03 have been weather corrected to the 1999–2000 20 year average. 2 This includes 10 per cent. of energy which is from renewable sources and therefore exempt from CCL. My Department plans to reduce energy usage by continuing its planned program of energy surveys, efficiency works and training courses for Accommodation Liaison Officers.
In addition my Department follows guidance on government procurement produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This requires all new contracts to meet minimum efficiency standards as well as value for money, when purchasing certain types of product. Types of product that must meet energy efficiency criteria include IT equipment, gas boilers, white goods (eg fridges and washing machines), televisions, lighting systems and light-bulbs 2003.