Written question asked by Mark Hoban (Conservative) on Thursday, 17 July 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 July 2008. It was answered by Parmjit Dhanda (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 July 2008 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Buildings

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations have received (a) free and (b) discounted room hire from (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case.

Answer: Communities and Local Government does not hire out its conference facilities, and only allows use of them by its own staff, or the departments/non departmental public bodies with whom it shares its buildings. It does not charge for the use of rooms, but does charge for refreshments.For the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and the Fire Service College this information is not available. As a trading funds who hire conference space to all sectors, any such arrangements would be commercially confidential.

Secondary information