HC Deb 17 June 1997 vol 296 cc124-5W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average rent being paid for empty homes under the leaseback arrangement with Annington Homes in Birmingham and the west midlands. [3646]

Mr. Spellar

The average annual rent being paid to Annington Homes for homes in Birmingham is £5,100 and in the west midlands is £4,890.

Dr. Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the addresses of empty MOD homes in(a) Birmingham and (b) west midlands county, and the length of time each has been empty. [3645]

Mr. Spellar

My Department owns eight properties with a postal address of Birmingham, of which four are currently empty. In addition there are 43 other properties with a west midlands address (excluding Birmingham) of which 20 are currently empty. It is our practice not to give the addresses of individual properties for security reasons.

The longest time any one of these houses has been empty is 17 months, but the average is six to seven months.