HC Deb 30 April 1991 vol 190 cc137-8W
Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future use of Norfolk house, East Kilbride.

Mr. Yeo

The future of Norfolk house will depend on the outcome of tripartite negotiations currently in progress between the Department as tenant, the Department's landlord, East Kilbride development corporation, and the head landlord, the Norwich Union Insurance Group. These negotiations aim to establish agreement on the complex issue of legal liability for the defects which have made Norfolk house unusable.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those Government properties, owned, leased or rented, which are currently subject to structural investigation.

Mr. Yeo

A wide range of structural investigations are taking place at any given time, varying from cases where options from repair to renewal are explicitly under consideration through full-scale inspections prior to lease renewals and down to routine inspections to anticipate problems and establish future maintenance requirements. In addition, responsibility for maintenance of Government property lies with a wide range of Government Departments. It is not therefore practicable to provide the information in the form requested.

Staff in post at 1 April 1991 Complement 1 April 1991
Statistical Administrative Statistical Administrative
Grade 5/Chief Statistician 5 — 5 —
Grade 6 1 1 1 1
Grade 7/Statistician 22 4 22 3

Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the structural investigation currently being undertaken into Centre 1, East Kilbride.

Mr. Yeo

Investigations have shown that Centre 1 requires considerable repair and refurbishment. My Department has appointed Hugh Martin Partnership, assisted by the Property Services Agency, to compare the long-run value for money of effecting the necessary remedial work with the alternative of developing a new building elsewhere in East Kilbride.