§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much(a) electricity and (b) other energy his Department 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. [135056]
§ Hilary BennFor information on how much electricity and other energy DFID has used in each year since 1997 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Bradshaw) on 4 November 2003,Official Report, column 403W.
Forecasts of future consumption are still in the process of being developed. We have occupied our 1 Palace Street building for less than two years and a reliable baseline is only now emerging. Similarly, our East Kilbride office is undergoing extensive refurbishment and extension that will completely alter the energy consumption picture there, and our subsidiary London office is being vacated in 2004 so is excluded from future predictions. However the Department's aim is to reduce its energy consumption in accordance with Government targets, and to this end the London and East Kilbride refurbishments include such features as energy-efficient boilers, low-energy light bulbs and tubes, and, where appropriate, movement sensors instead of light switches to ensure that lights are not left on unnecessarily in unoccupied rooms. The offices have also had their computer monitors replaced throughout with low-energy flat screens. In addition, the London office electricity supply has been 100 per cent. from renewable sources since July 2002, while from this month the new supply contract for East Kilbride is 654W 10 per cent. renewable (the maximum available there). Also at East Kilbride, a feasibility study for an on-site wind turbine is currently under way. The staff Green Awareness programme includes an energy section and a computer switch-off campaign backed up by monthly monitoring and feedback.
DFID is committed to the Government's Sustainable Development Framework and Targets, which include an Energy component, and is developing an Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001 in order to deliver these. Building management systems incorporate energy reduction elements; consumption is monitored monthly and any undue increases investigated.