§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on renting private accommodation for armed services personnel(a) in the last financial year and (b) this financial year to date. [119394]
§ Mr. CaplinThe following figures show expenditure on substitute Service accommodation in Great Britain rented by the Ministry of Defence from the private sector when accommodation according to entitlement, within daily travelling distance from the work place, could not otherwise be provided for Service personnel and their families.
£million Financial year 2002–03 33.8 1 April to 31 May 2003 5.7 Roughly one third of the figures quoted is for family accommodation.
245W
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much(a) single living accommodation and (b) service family accommodation was empty in each month since July 2002; and if he will make a statement. [119395]
§ Mr. CaplinThe figures for empty single living accommodation are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The approximate figures for vacant Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in mainland United Kingdom at the end of each month from July 2002 to May 2003 are as follows:
Number July 2002 9,000 August 2002 9,100 September 2002 9,100 October 2002 9,200 November 2002 9,300 December 2002 9,300 January 2003 9,100 February 2003 9,200 March 2003 8,200 April 2003 8,200 May 2003 8,300 Since January 2000, some 12,000 surplus SFA have been released for disposal. The disposal programme will continue, but the numbers released are constrained by Service deployment uncertainties.