§ Mr. Channonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why, over the last 10-year period, there has been a real increase in expenditure on maintenance provided by the Property Services Agency in the South Eastern and Scottish Regions when in other regions there have been substantial savings in real terms; and what steps are being taken to rectify this situation.
§ Mr. MarksThe reasons for the recent increase in maintenance expenditure in real terms in South-East Region are:
- (a) the need for a higher than average expenditure on major maintenance schemes; mainly for Royal Navy accommodation and,
- (b) the increasing cost of maintaining old buildings in Chatham and Portsmouth Dockyards, which include listed buildings of historical importance. There are plans for the redevelopment of Chatham and Portsmouth Dockyards which could mean eventual replacement of some old—non-listedbuildings.
The increase in maintenance expediture in real terms in Scotland compared with 1968–69 is due to a substantial increase in the size of the civil estate, and to increased maintenance requirements of the defence estate resulting from changes in the role of certain Service establishments.
§ Mr. Channonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why there has been a sharp increase in real costs in the maintenance provided by the Property Services Agency since 1974–75: and if he will make a statement;
(2) why there has been a 20 per cent. increase in real terms in the maintenance expenditure of the Southern Region of the Property Services Agency between the years 1974–75 and 1975–76;
(3) why there was more than a 10 per cent. real increase in expenditure on maintenance provided by the Property Services Agency between the years 1974–75 and 1975–76.
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§ Mr. MarksThe increase in maintenance expenditure in real terms since 1974–75 is due to the depressed expenditure in 1972–73 to 1974–75 resulting from the wholesale termination of maintenance term contracts by contractors due to the high rate of inflation, the effects of the power strike, and economic constraints. This led to a considerable backlog in maintenance and the consequent increase in expenditure in 1975–76 and 1976–77.