§ Mr. Malcolm Bruce:To ask the Secretary of State for. National Heritage what is her estimate of the annual cost to her Department and her Department's agencies and 919W non-departmental public bodies of their empty and under-used properties for (a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97. [11511]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer 30 January 1996]: My Department, which was created in April 1992, occupies properties which form part of the common user estate. The Department of the Environment will provide central figures covering all common user estate vacant space.
Of my two agencies, only the Royal Parks, formed in April 1993 has any vacant or under-used space, all of which are park buildings, the majority greenhouses. The cost of maintaining these net of VAT is as follows:
- 1993–94: £12,300,00
- 1994–95: £11,500.00
- 1995–96: £26,700.00
- 1996–97: £4,400.00 (estimated)
To provide this information for the properties for which my non-departmental public bodies are responsible could be achieved only by incurring disproportionate cost.