HC Deb 01 July 1992 vol 210 cc561-2W
Mr. McCartney

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 15 June to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond),Official Report, columns 360–61, if he will list each individual land or property holding of the Duchy, together with its location and capital value.

Mr. Waldegrave

It would be impractical to list each individual land and property holding belonging to the Duchy, which amount to over 1,000. A summary of land and property holdings is therefore set out.

£ per week
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
£ per cent. increase £ per cent. increase £ per cent. increase £ per cent. increase £ per cent. increase £ per cent. increase £
Average Earnings1 89.60 23.0 110.20 13.3 124.90 9.3 136.50 8.6 148.30 7.4 159.30 7.3 171.00
Senior Civil Servants
Head of the Civil Service 593.87 8.1 641.76 7.0 686.69 17.2 804.60 14.3 919.54 6.8 981.80 46.3 1,436.78
Permanent Secretary to the Treasury 593.87 8.1 641.76 7.0 686.69 17.2 804.60 14.3 919.54 6.8 981.80 36.6 1,341.00
Grade 1 545.98 8.8 593.88 7.0 635.44 13.8 723.18 13.2 818.97 6.4 871.65 31.9 1,149.43
Grade 1A 498.08 9.6 545.98 7.0 584.19 14.8 670.50 12.9 756.70 6.3 804.60 31.0 1,053.64

There are estates predominately agricultural in nature, in the following counties:

Approximate acreage
Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire 3,031
Staffordshire and Cheshire 10,901
Lancashire 10,617
Yorkshire 8,111

In addition, the Duchy owns some 15,000 acres of moorland in north Yorkshire and south Wales, most of which are subject to common rights.

The estates include some 273 agricultural tenancies and 3,696 acres of woodland.

Other property ownerships (all of which are freehold except for a long leasehold property in the City of London) may be summarised as follows:

  1. (a) Greater London
    • The freehold of properties in the Manor of the Savoy bounded by Lancaster place, the Embankment, Savoy hill and Strand, including the Savoy chapel, and a building at 2/4 Lancaster place to 137 Strand.
  2. (b) Miscellaneous commercial properties in Harrogate which include five shops, 2 hotels and a house now converted to offices. These properties, in the main, are let on occupational leases. There is also the remainder of a residential estate developed over a period of 100 years or so producing 36 ground rents. The freehold reversions are sold to the lessees on terms which follow the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Acts.
  3. (c) Single holdings—those not forming part of an estate—of commercial property in Hadley Wood, Leicester, Lewes and London, other than the Savoy estate. Except for four properties in London which are let on ground rents, these are let on occupational leases.

On the question of capital value, the Duchy values its properties for internal purposes only and figures are not published.