§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average length of time taken to transfer property surplus to Home Office requirements to other Government Departments in the last two years; and 288W how many properties at present owned by his Department, or transferred from his Department to another Government Department, respectively, are at present empty.
§ Mr. JohnIn the last two years, two semi-detached houses and four flats in Harlesden were transferred to the Department for Health and Social Security seven months after notice was given that they were surplus to requirements. All the accommodation is now occupied.
Including houses temporarily vacant pending a change of occupant, approximately 350 houses owned by the Department are at present empty. This figure excludes some 200 sub-standard houses and 250 houses at former Service camps being converted to prisons.