Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Forestry Commission has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

The Forestry Commission provides IT equipment to support staff working in a blended way, between office space and home and also a small number of contracted home workers.

Equipment is procured through best-value frameworks, including the Civil Service Purchase Platform, and is redeployed wherever possible to ensure value for money.

Estimated expenditure on IT equipment to support staff working from home or in a blended capacity:

Forestry Commission (Forest Services, Forestry England and Commissioners Office):

• 2022: £29,398.38
• 2023: £29,727.76
• 2024: £39,564.86
• 2025 to date: £11,195.95

Forest Research:

• 2023–24: £2,790.34
• 2024–25: £1,175.78
• 2025–26 to date: £1,013.27