To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken in the last 12 months to make his Department more fuel efficient.

The Home Office is committed to achieving the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate energy targets; namely to reduce absolute carbon, from fuel and electricity used in buildings on our estate, by 12.5 per cent. by 2010–11, relative to 1999–2000 and to increase the energy efficiency of the buildings on our estate, measured in terms of kWh of fuel and electricity use per square metre of buildings floor area by 15 per cent. over the same period. To meet these targets the Department is benchmarking key office sites to identify those buildings which are high energy users.

The contract at our London HQ building at 2Marsham street requires our PFI partner to operate the building at 10 per cent. below the best practice benchmark contained in the Government's Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme Energy Use in Offices Guide.

In 2005–06 the Prison Service funded a number of energy saving projects with a total value of £512,760. Work included extension of building management systems at the following establishments; Askham Grange, Belmarsh, Castington, Coldingley, Lewes and Preston. Automatic lighting controls were installed at Belmarsh, Brockhill, Cardiff, Hewell Grange, Parkhurst and Swansea.

A number of business groups on the core office estate have undertaken awareness raising programmes on energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. Specific actions have been taken by local property centre managers including replacement of lighting with energy efficient bulbs in large office buildings; reducing the number of lighting units required; and requiring security personnel to ensure lights are switched off when they conduct their evening patrols.

Overall, the Department has achieved an 11 per cent. reduction in total energy consumption since the baseline year.