§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of properties owned by his Department and suitable for residential accommodation have been empty for (i) up to a year and (ii) over a year; and where these properties are located, by region of the United Kingdom or local authority area.
§ Mr. NeubertStatistics are not collected in quite the form requested. The latest figures available show that on 30 November 1988 there were 78,520 tri-service married quarters, of which 14.4 per cent. had been vacant for under a year and 5.8 per cent. vacant for over a year. At 30 September 1988, of 1,828 civilian houses (including 263 leased from local authorities) 6.2 per cent. had been vacant for under six months and 7.1 per cent. for over six months.
Some of these vacant properties are in the process of disposal, others will be undergoing major maintenance or refurbishment, and yet others will be allocated and awaiting the arrival of the families to the unit.
The breakdown by region is:
Percentage vacant by region Tri-service married quarters (as at 30 November 1988) Region Under 1 year Over 1 year Northern 14.4 5.8 Yorkshire/Humberside 16.8 5.0 East Midlands 21.6 16.8 East Anglia 13.0 5.1 South East 13.1 4.2 South West 15.5 5.5 West Midlands 14.9 10.8 North West 13.8 1.2 Wales 14.2 4.6 Scotland 15.4 7.0 Northern Ireland 11.4 1.6
Civilian houses (as at 30 September 1988) Region Under6 months Over6 months Northern 5.5 20.0 South East 4.0 1.5 South West 12.3 7.4 West Midlands 0 8.7 North West 0 0 Wales 3.7 45.1 Scotland 7.9 11.7