HC Deb 22 June 1964 vol 697 cc8-9
10. Mr. C. Pannell

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the total expenditure of public money paid in rent for accommodation at Clifton House; and what is the rent per square foot.

Mr. Rippon

My Ministry has a lease of about 40,000 sq. ft. of office accommodation from the Church Commissioners at Clifton House, Euston Road. The accommodation is occupied by the Post Office and the Inland Revenue. It would be contrary to the Ministry's practice and commercial interests for me to disclose the terms of any lease which we may take.

Mr. Pannell

Is the Minister aware that the information he has given is rather at variance with that which I have been given, which is that a firm called Machinery Limited of Clifton House has leased space from the Church Commissioners and sub-let to the Ministry an entire floor of about 1,000 sq. ft. at 27s. 6d., for which every taxpayer, I am told, is paying in rent to Machinery Limited the excess per ft. of 27s. 6d. over about 16s. paid by Machinery Limited to the freeholders? Would that be the information?

Mr. Rippon

That may be the hon. Gentleman's information, but it is not the correct position. Our lease is direct from the freeholders, the Church Commissioners. We have no connection of any kind with Machinery Limited.