§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What number of personnel is the refurbished Ministry of Defence head office building designed to accommodate; what are the anticipated proportions of civilian and Armed Forces personnel to be located there; when relocation to that building will be completed; what accommodation elsewhere will be released as a consequence; and what steps are to be taken to realise any such surplus accommodation? [HL3895]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)The extensive redevelopment of main building has allowed the Ministry of Defence to increase the capacity of the building from 2,600 to 3,300, of which roughly one in three people are members of the Armed Forces. Reoccupation of the building will complete at the end of September 2004. The increased capacity of the building has allowed for the divestment of five MoD buildings in central London, these are:
- Northumberland House—plans for the sale of the building are proceeding;
- Metropole Building—to be released back to landlord, Crown Estate;
- Great Scotland Yard—to be released back to landlord, Crown Estate;
- St Giles Court—to be released back to landlord, Legal and General;
- St Christopher House—released to landlord, Land Securities, at end of 2002.