§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total floor space of offices occuppied by the Civil Service in Greater London, the total rates which they pay, the proportion rented, the annual costs of such rents in the current year, and the capital value of those which are not rented.
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§ Mr. MarksThe total area of the PSA London region office estate—which covers a slightly larger area than the GLC—is 26.71 million sq. ft. net. This area includes the occupations of a number of approved repayment clients, some staffed by civil servants and some not, as well as space occupied by uniformed military staff attached to MOD. The total rent payable this year is expected to be about £72.5 million net excluding repayment clients. The Treasury valuer pays a contribution in lieu of rates on all Government property, owned and leased, but because office buildings are not separately categorised a precise figure payable cannot be quoted in the time available: however, an approximate estimate is £62 million. 70 per cent. of the London estate is rented, but no capital valuations are made of Crown properties except when they are to be disposed of.