§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the cost of maintaining the ex-Service men's married quarters at Middleton St. George, County Durham, now empty for five years; how many such houses are standing empty nationally; and what steps are being taken to bring the houses back into use.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe number of vacant Service married quarters at Middleton St. George has risen from four to about 90 over the last five years. The average cost of maintenance is about £150 per annum per vacant quarter.
In the United Kingdom as a whole, about 21,000 Service married quarters are now vacant and although not all are surplus to our long-term requirements, every effort is being made to dispose of those which are.