HC Deb 11 January 1993 vol 216 c527W
Mr. Straw

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list(a) the total number of residential properties owned by his Department, (b) the number of such properties which are empty, and (c), (b) as a percentage of (a).

Mr. Norris

Yes. On 30 September 1992, when the last return was compiled

  1. (a) the total number of residential properties was 3,283: apart from 15 used by coastguard services they were held as a result of road schemes;
  2. (b) 666 were empty; and
  3. (c) the empty properties were 20.4 per cent. of the total. However, of these, 597 (18.3 per cent.) either have been in the Department's ownership for three months or less; are awaiting demolition; are in the process of being sold or are vacant for other good reasons, for example, because they are uninhabitable or are specialised and particularly difficult to let. Only 69 properties (2.1 per cent.) remain unlet without good reason.

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