HC Deb 18 May 1977 vol 932 cc160-1W
Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Service homes at the former Central Vehicle Depot at Marchington have been kept empty; and for how long.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

87 of the 97 married quarters at Marchington are currently vacant. Many of these have been vacant or occupied only intermittently since 1967 due to uncertainty about the further defence use of the other facilities at Marchington.

Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the annual cost of maintenance of the empty Service homes at the former Central Vehicle Depot at Marchington.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

It is not possible for the Property Services Agency, which is responsible for maintenance of Service married quarters, to separate the cost of maintaining empty quarters at Marchington from that for occupied houses. For the last three financial years a total of £41,000 has been spent on all 97 married quarters, including fixed costs for sewerage, repair of storm damage, etc.

Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the 82 empty Service homes at the former Central Vehicle Depot at Marchington were put into the hands of the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment; and when the remaining empty homes are expected to be transferred.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

The 82 empty married quarters were finally transferred to the Property Services Agency for disposal on 28th January 1977. Five quarters which are now also unoccupied, and 10 others which are still occupied, will all be so transferred by March 1978, when it is expected that they will all become vacant. Meanwhile, such preliminary disposal action as is possible is already being taken in respect of the occupied quarters.

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