§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Defence for how long the 38 Royal Air Force-owned properties off Heywood Avenue, Woodlands Park, Maidenhead, have been unoccupied; why they have not been used since their last occupation by Royal Air Force personnel; what is the loss in revenue so far caused by the non-occupation of these properties; what are the present plans for the future use or disposal of all of these properties or any of them; and if he will make it his policy to use these properties to house, with or without security of tenure, families in need of accommodation.
§ Mr. Norman LamontAfter the last property was vacated in April this year, these houses were passed to the Property Services Agency for disposal; for this reason occupancy in the interim period has been impracticable, so that there has been no loss of revenue. Their design precludes individual sale and the estate will be put on the market as a single lot in the very near future. It is Ministry of Defence policy to allow local authorities to lease temporarily vacant property, subject to guarantees about maintenance and repossession: where property is substandard and surplus to requirements, however, such occupation would only impede disposal and would not be in the interests of homeless people.