Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies plans to spend on (a) Christmas cards, (b) postage of Christmas cards, (c) Christmas parties and (d) Christmas decorations and trees in 2015.

A search of the Department’s Business Management System database for 2015 has identified there is no planned spend to fund Christmas cards, postage of Christmas cards and parties. As separately identified from our facilities management suppliers, EMCOR, the Department has no plans currently to purchase Christmas decorations or trees from them.

The Civil Service Code sets out the principles and standards of behaviour expected of civil servants, including their fiduciary obligation to make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently. Public money is not used by the Department, Public Health England or the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to fund occasions such as internal social gatherings or office parties. Any social events are funded by the staff themselves.

Arm’s length bodies have systems in place to ensure public funds are used appropriately and standards of propriety are met, in line with their responsibilities as public bodies

Spend as requested from all the Departments non-departmental public bodies and its agencies are separately reported below:

NHS England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Monitor have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Care Quality Commission have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Public Health England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Health Education England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2015 expenditure is contained in the table below.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 2015 expenditure is contained in the table below.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Human Tissue Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Health Research Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.