§ Sir Anthony DurantTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress the Government have made on establishing a task force on empty Government residential properties; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardI am pleased to announce the establishment of the task force on Government Departments' empty houses. Its first meeting will be on Wednesday 9 December. The task force has been established to help bring empty Government residential properties back into use, essentially to be sold, or let on 577W short-term leases to people in housing need. The role of the task force will be to oversee Departments' achievements of their respective targets for disposals.
Mr. John Baker, chief executive of National Power, has been appointed as its chairman. The task force will also comprise an independent deputy chairman, Mr. Anthony Fletcher, two independent experts, Major-General Patrick Stone and Mr. David Yorke, and representatives from Government Departments with an interest in disposal of empty residential property.
The task force will be overseen by a ministerial steering group under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning. The ministerial steering group will monitor progress and give added impetus to the task force's work.