§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what(a) number and (b) percentage of properties in her charge are empty; and what steps are being taken by her Department to reduce the number of such properties. [116909]
§ Mr. StringerThe Cabinet Office had 168 properties in its charge on 1 April 1999, of which 30.4 per cent. were empty on 1 April 2000. The majority of the empty properties were office buildings held by the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE), a key responsibility of which has been to dispose of surplus occupied and empty office accommodation on the Government Estate. In many cases tenants have been found for previously empty properties to reduce the burden on the Exchequer and to make them more attractive for disposal to investors. The principal determinant for disposal is value for money408W to the Exchequer. PACE and another two of the Cabinet Office's agencies transferred to HM Treasury on 1 April 2000. The figures include three office buildings on the Cabinet Office estate undergoing refurbishment.