The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is under fire in the latest Public Accounts Report for the high cost of its office accommodation. The DCMS and its 24 organisations including Arts Council England (ACE) and the UK Film Council, occupy 95 offices around England, housing 5,000 staff at a cost of over £40m per year. The majority of the sectors office space is in London even when many of the organisations have UK-wide responsibility.
In addition nearly half of the offices in the sector exceed recommended good practice for the amount of space per person (see AP issue 118). Edward Leigh MP, Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, says, The DCMS must now stand up and exercise leadership. It must set standards for office accommodation, benchmark accommodation costs and use between organisations, challenge assumptions about the need to occupy prestigious offices, and hold organisations to account.
Published: 04-06-2007