Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting throughout his Department's buildings and sites; if he will estimate the proportion of lighting in his Department which is LED; and if he will make a statement.

DWP outsourced the ownership and management of its estate, including related facilities management to our accommodation partners Telereal Trillium (TT) as part of a 20 year PFI contract, known as PRIME. Under this PFI arrangement DWP leases back fully serviced accommodation and as such when lighting is due for renewal the choice of replacement is made by TT’s technical experts rather than DWP. TT normal practice, when replacing lighting is to renew with highly energy efficient fluorescent lighting.

The widespread use of this energy efficient fluorescent lighting combined with the high cost of fitting LED lights means a widespread programme of fitting LED lights is not considered cost effective by TT and DWP.

Although a small number of LED lights are fitted at some sites, it is not possible to estimate the proportion as TT do not maintain central records of individual light fittings.