§ Mr Steenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the regional health authorities which have sought professional advice on their property holdings, following his Department's circular 22/83.
§ Mr. John PattenThirteen regional health authorities have regional estates surveyors in post and eight regions have set up regional property panels. Two regions — including the one which does not employ a regional estates surveyor — have appointed firms of outside agents to give them comprehensive advice on property matters.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has yet had cause to penalise any regional health authority for not implementing the system of notional rents for property, as set out in his Department's circular 22/83: and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will list the regional health authorities which have already complied with his Department's circular 22/83 with regard to the introduction of a system of notional rents on property.
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§ Mr. John PattenNo region has a full notional rental system in operation. It has proved necessary for the Department to undertake further substantial development work before a satisfactory system can become fully operational. This work is planned to be completed shortly. No regional health authority has therefore been penalised for not introducing a system.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the amount of property and land, in each of the regional health authorities, which has been sold as a result of the changes in estate management practice set out in his Department's circular 22/83.
§ Mr. John PattenCircular HC(83)22 gave guidance on a variety of aspects of good estate management. It is not possible to determine what proportion of land sold is as a direct result from the circular's advice. Land sales for the year ending 31 March 1984 were as follows:
Disposals in the Year Region Total Acreage Total Receipts £000s Northern 20 858 Yorkshire 88 844 Trent 55 2,342 East Anglian 6 934 North West Thames 13 6,096 North East Thames 13 3,771 South East Thames 8 1,570 South West Thames 7 2,409 Wessex 233 1,238 Oxford 66 1,522 South Western 80 972 West Midlands 83 1,930 Mersey 148 1,464 North Western 8 999 BG/SHAs 30 4,559 England 858 31,508