§ Lord Denningasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer of Earl Howe on 25th July (col. WA 165), what is the "framework document" and whether it has been authorised by Parliament or has some other authority; what is the agency referred to in the Answer and whether it is what is called by government departments an "executive agency" and, if so, what is the authority of such an agency.
Earl HoweThe agency referred to is Property Advisers to the Civil Estate also known as PACE. It is an Executive Agency of the Office of Public Service and reports to my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Its main aims are to enable departments to achieve best value for money in the management of their property assets by providing advisory and co-ordination services, and to carry out residual functions of disposing of inherited vacant property and collecting opportunity cost rents.
The agency's framework document, to which the answer referred, lists these aims and its objectives and describes its accountability to Ministers and to Parliament. When the agency was established on 1st April this year my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster placed copies of this framework document in the Libraries of the House.
Determining the future use of the Public Record Office falls to PACE because the building is among those temporarily owned by the agency under its residual responsibility for vacant property.