§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the total annual running costs for buildings used, owned or rented by his Department for each nation and region of the UK, and estimate the average cost per square metre for properties used by his Department as a whole, and by region and nation of the UK. [6831]
§ Dr. MoonieDecisions about the Ministry of Defence use of buildings are not made primarily on the basis of cost. Operational and other factors also play a part. Running costs for MOD buildings are not as present held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, with the publication of "In Trust and On Trust: A Strategy for the Defence Estate" in June 2000, MOD has begun to establish a basis on which such information can be more easily collected and assessed. This process may, however, take some time to complete to the level of detail requested.