§ Mr. Alan DuncanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much his Department spent on(a) mobile telephone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxi costs in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [185553]
§ Mr. LammyThe information requested is as follows.
(a) Total mobile telephone costs for the Department, which covers costs for the Court Service, the Public Guardianship Office and DCA Headquarters for 2003–04 is £295,742.
(b) Total hospitality (entertainment) costs for the Department, which covers costs for the Court Service, the Public Guardianship Office and DCA Headquarters for 2003–04 is £79,050.
Information on 1996–97 is not readily available.
(c) It is not possible for the Department to provide the full detailed information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Department has published rules for official travel in its staff handbook and all travel complied with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.
§ Mr. Alan DuncanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total cost of printing departmental headed notepaper was in(a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [185554]
§ Mr. LammyThe Department for Constitutional Affairs also replies on behalf of its Associated Offices and the Court Service.
The Department's expenditure on departmental headed notepaper in 2003–04 was £7,738.
Expenditure on notepaper during 1996–97 is included in general stationery costs and cannot be separately identified.
§ Mr. Alan DuncanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much his Department spent on(a) head-hunters and recruitment consultants and (b) management consultants in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [185556]
§ Mr. LammyThe Department for Constitutional Affairs also replies on behalf of its Associated Offices and the Court Service.
186W(a) The term "head-hunters and recruitment consultants" is taken to refer to the use of specialist agencies in recruitment to key posts and public appointments.
(i) In 2003–04 the Department's expenditure on recruitment consultants was £414,827. The majority of this concerned the establishment of the new agency (HM Courts Service) and lay members of the 42 new local Courts Boards.
(ii) In 1996–97 information on the use of recruitment consultants was no collated centrally and could now be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(b) The Department's net expenditure with management consultants in the financial years 1996–97 and 2002–03 was £1.09 million and £5.75 million respectively. (Expenditure is only collected on an annual basis and the figure for 2003–04 is not yet available.)
This increase in expenditure reflects the wide-ranging and fast-paced programme to modernise the Department's work, to increase efficiency, provide better customer service, and value for money for the taxpayer.
§ Mr. Alan DuncanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the costs of running his Department's canteen facilities were in(a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [185557]
§ Mr. LammyThe Department for Constitutional Affairs also replies on behalf of its Associated Offices and the Court Service.
"Canteen Facilities" is taken to mean facilities provided primarily for use by the Department's staff. This approach is consistent with the definition used in previous questions.
(a) The Department operated several staff canteens at various locations during 1996–97 but the running cost of these facilities can only be separated out at disproportionate cost to the Department.
(b) At present the Department operates only one staff canteen, in its London headquarters where there is a concentration staff.
Visitors to the building also use the facility.
Income from sales is used to offset the cost to the Department. However, there is a need for a subsidy, the cost of which was £94,791 in 2003–04.