FOI release

BSCC-FOI-0426-RG: net zero staff and consultant spending

Updated 27 April 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biometrics-and-surveillance-camera-commissioner-foi-responses-2026/bscc-foi-0426-rg-net-zero-staff-and-consultant-spending

Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

24 April 2026

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/biometrics-and-surveillance-camera-commissioner

To: [redacted]

Reference: BSCC-FOI-0426-RG

I write in response to an email received by my office on 23 April 2026 in which you asked for the following information:

“From the last 3 financial year’s budgeted figures (2022/23, 23/24, 24/25):

  1. Climate-related posts

    a) The number of posts if any (headcount, and FTE where recorded) employed with job titles that include any of the following terms:

    Climate; Net Zero; Sustainability; Carbon; Emissions; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Climate Action; Climate Policy; Climate Programme; Climate Project; Climate Data; Climate Reporting; Climate Adaptation; Climate Resilience; Energy and Climate; Sustainable Procurement; Green Finance; Green.

  2. Cost of those posts

    The total employment cost for the posts (if any) identified in Question 1, including salary and employer on-costs (e.g. pension and National Insurance), as recorded.

  3. External consultants

    The total amount paid during the same financial year to external consultants, companies, or contractors where the expenditure is recorded under any cost centre, project code, budget line, or purchase description that includes one or more of the following terms:

    Climate; Net Zero; Sustainability; Carbon; Emissions; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Climate Action; Climate Policy; Climate Programme; Climate Project; Climate Data; Climate Reporting; Climate Adaptation; Climate Resilience; Energy and Climate; Sustainable Procurement; Green Finance; Green.

    This should include, but not be limited to, expenditure coded to professional services, consultancy, advisory services, or specialist support.

    If you do not record expenditure in this way, please provide the closest equivalent recorded information held (for example, totals by relevant cost centre or project).

    If any information requested is not held, please state this clearly. If figures are held only in aggregated form, please provide the aggregated figures. Estimates derived from recorded financial information are acceptable.

    If complying with this request would exceed the cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, please disregard point 3.

    Please provide the information requested above in the following table format, where held:

    Financial Year

    Job Title

    Staff Costs including on-costs (£)

    Headcount

    Consultant Spend”

Your email has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am a regulator independent of, though appointed by, government. My office is an arm’s-length body (ALB) of the Home Office with oversight responsibilities limited to biometrics and surveillance. My office does not hold any jurisdiction over matters related to climate change and sustainability and we have no staff or functions operating in those areas.

To answer your questions specifically:

  1. No staff or posts were filled with the job titles identified in question 1(a) for the 3 financial years 2022/23, 23/24, 24/25.

  2. The total employment cost for the identified job titles in question 1(a) is nil for the 3 financial year 2022/23, 23/24, 24/25.

  3. Expenditures towards external consultants, companies and contracts containing the identified terms in question 3 are nil, for the financial years 2022/23, 23/24, 24/25.

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting a complaint within two months to the address below, quoting reference BSCC-FOI-0426-RG. If you ask for an internal review, it would be helpful if you could say why you are dissatisfied with the response.

[redacted]
5th Floor, 2 Ruskin Square
Broad Green
Croydon
CR0 2WF

e-mail: Sciencesupportfoi@homeoffice.gov.uk

As part of any internal review, our handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. If you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Kind regards

Professor William Webster
Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner

Email: enquiries@obscc.org.uk

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