Empty Property (Hansard, 23 May 1990)

§ 75. Mr. Corbyn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set a target of reducing the percentage of Government-owned empty property from 18 per cent. to 2 per cent.

§ Mr. Chope
It is the Government's stated policy to sell surplus properties wherever possible. The Department actively encourages other Government Departments to reduce numbers of empty dwellings and to let property to local authorities or housing associations where sale is not possible: some 570 such lettings have already been arranged by the Ministry of Defence which aims to reduce its empty stock to 9 per cent. by 1992–93.

§ 90. Mr. Henderson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to ensure that Government-owned empty property is used for the homeless.

§ Mr. Chope
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning gave to the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Miss Hoey) on 25 April,Official Report, column 315.

§ 92. Mr. Flannery
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of Government-owned housing is empty.

§ Mr. Chope
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 27 February to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley),Official Report, volume 168, columns 180–81.