HC Deb 13 March 1984 vol 56 cc136-7W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the staff of the Crown Estate in England and Wales and the number of offices held.

Mr. Peter Rees

The staff of the Crown Estate employed at the two headquarter offices are as follows:

Number of staff
Deputy Secretary 1
Assistant Secretary 2
Principal 4
SEO 6
HEO 15
EO 19
CO 17
CA 6
Typists/Secretaries/Messengers 20
Technical grades 9
Professional grades 14
Legal grades 7
120

These offices are in London and Bracknell. In addition, 416 ancillary staff are employed in forestry and estate management activities at Windsor and elsewhere and in maintaining housing estates and commercial property in London.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the total acreage of farmland administered by the Commissioners of the Crown Estate in the United Kingdom, the number of farmers retained under lease and the average holding of tenants.

Mr. Peter Rees

The area of farmland amounts to 223,025 acres; there are 761 farms; and the average size of a holding is 300 acres.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration was received by the Crown Estate from the British Gas Corporation for the right to use the exhausted rough gas field for gas storage; and how the sum was calculated.

Mr. Peter Rees

The agreed figure is commercially confidential. It was however recommended to the Crown Estate Commissioners by the Inland Revenue valuation office and was based on normal valuation principles, the Crown's monopoly interest being excluded.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any information as to the reserves held by the Crown Estate in (a) sand and gravel from seaward locations, (b) tin in offshore Cornish mines, (c) chent and slate in Welsh quarries, (d) stone in quarries in England and Wales and (e) brick clay in England and of the production of each mineral in any recent conveniently available year.

Mr. Peter Rees

Information as to the level of reserves could not be obtained without disproportionate time and effort. Details of production are as follows:

  1. (a) 1982–16,623,888 tonnes
  2. (b) Year to 10.10.1983–172 tonnes
  3. (c) 1982/83–16,721 tonnes
  4. (d) 1982/83–1,965,151 tonnes
  5. (e) 1982/83–30,824 cubic metres