§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 January,Official Report, columns 468–69, on charges for British bases, if his Department has now received figures for the renting of sites in (a) Lipa, (b) Sipovo, (c) Bugojno, (d) Sanski Most, (e) Mrkonjic Grad,(f) Banja Luka and (g) Vitez where rental prices were previously unavailable. [34049]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 21 June 1996]: The latest information on the sites in question is as follows:
Lipa
- No lease has been negotiated for the site at this location. Therefore no costs have been incurred.
Sipovo
- Three factories, a sawmill and a hotel are occupied. As yet no owners have been identified, so no costs have been incurred.
Bugojno
- The factory site is due to be vacated at the end of this month. An owner has now been identified and discussion is under way about retrospective rental payments.
Sanski Most
- Two sites are occupied. The costs of one, £8,000 per month, were given in my answer of 21 May, Official Report, column 108. The cost of the second site has yet to be established.
Mrkonjic Grad
- Two factories, a sawmill and dam are occupied. The owner of one factory has been identified and rental negotiations are under way. Other site owners remain to be identified.
Banjo Luka
- A factory site and two officers are occupied. The cost of the factory, £38,000 per month, was given in my answer of 21 May. The lease of the other two sites has been agreed at a cost of £17,650 per month.
Vitez
- Negotiations for the use of the school building in Vitez are continuing, but this is state-owned and we aim to secure its use at no cost to the Department. There are a significant number of minor sites around the school which are occupied by British forces. Taken together, their rental amounts to some £11,100 per month. (Not all the costs of these sites were available for inclusion in my reply of 21 May). Costs to the BFI site were given in my answer of 26 January.
Where no lease exists at present, my Department will aim to negotiate one when the owners of the site are identified and proof of ownership is established.