Sustainable Development

Government Framework Target A1 – identifying significant impacts

All Departments to:

• Provide a clear description of their estate, including executive agencies, staff numbers, buildings and any land managed
• Identify their most significant sustainable development impacts
• Identify any part of their estate which will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework and give a justification

Departments should use this information to prioritise sites for coverage by an EMS (target A3)

To be completed by 31 October 2002 and posted on Departmental websites

Response

Inland Revenue Estate

Inland Revenue has responsibility for a large estate in excess of 74,000 staff located in over 640 buildings (including the Valuation Office Agency). This is mainly office based accommodation, but the estate also includes mainframe computer suites and storage warehouses.

Scope of the Framework within Inland Revenue

The Chairman of Inland Revenue made it clear when signing the Department’s sustainable development policy that IR will comply with the Government’s strategy for sustainable development. The Framework will thus cover all parts of the Department that we have control over.

Identifying the significant sustainability impacts of the Estate

These cover the activities of an organisation over which it has management control and may include but is not limited to:

Environmental impacts

• Controlled and uncontrolled emissions to atmosphere
• Controlled and uncontrolled discharges to waters and sewers
• Solid and other wastes, particularly hazardous wastes
• Energy use and climate change
• Procurement of resources
• Construction and refurbishment of estate
• Bio-diversity concerns, such as flora and fauna habitats, open space preservation
• Community issues (noise, odour, dust, vibration, traffic movement etc.)
• Employee satisfaction – surveys
• Employee training and development
• Employment practices and facilities – work life balance policies; child care schemes; gyms and sports facilities
• Health and work safety policies – health campaigns and screenings (employee injury and illness rates, lost work time, benefits covered, community health, local health risks resulting from the way the Department conducts its business)
• Relationship with local communities, authorities, organisations
• Prevention and reduction of criminal activity related to fraud and the resulting social problems within communities

Economic impacts

• Effectiveness of financial management – balancing resources whilst meeting operational objectives
• Prevention of revenue fraud – improved tax compliance measures
• Meeting financial goals for delivery of services within budgets
• Economic impacts on communities
• Treasury satisfaction with Departmental performance
• Information disclosure

(These impacts will be reviewed regularly and amended as we receive further information and develop our strategies).

For the purposes of the Framework targets and reporting on performance, the Department will report on the estate covered by its facilities management PFI partners. No part of our estate will be excluded from the provision of this or other targets.

For all targets guidance will be published on the Environment Intranet site which is available to all staff