§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons additional funding is necessary for works on Marsham Street; and how this money will be used. [165877]
§ Fiona MactaggartWhen the contract between the Home Office and Anne's Gate Property (AGP) for 2 Marsham street was signed, it was recognised that changes to the original specification were likely to be required during the contract period—in particular for security, information communication technology (ICT) cabling and external design. It was not at the time possible to determine precisely what those changes might be, and the contract therefore made provision for a further £11 million to be raised via a Variation Bond.
The final scope of the changes, and their cost, is still being determined. They will, however, include security and business continuity enhancements to provide greater protection and resilience; enhancements to the design to support the Government's Better Public Buildings initiative; compliance with the latest standard of ICT cabling; internal changes to better meet business requirements; and some spend to save investments in energy efficiency, internal communications services and the provision of electronic rather than manual IT switching. The Home Office has made provision for a contribution of £2 million towards the cost of the additional works.