§ Mr. HeddleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he takes to ensure that a periodic review is undertaken of all police stations owned and occupied by county constabularies and the Metropolitan force in the context of operational efficiency and commercial potential.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggPolice authorities were asked in 1987 to review their arrangements for managing the police 295W estate as a whole, including operational accommodation, and in particular ensure that surplus accommodation could be identified and either disposed of or used to meet new needs.
The scope of using police accommodation better is also reviewed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in its annual inspections of provincial forces. In the Metropolitan police, an audit of the occupancy of the whole estate has recently been completed.
296W
§ Mr. HeddleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is towards(a) the ownership and (b) the leasing of premises used as police stations.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggGenerally speaking, we prefer police authorities to own premises used as police stations, since this usually offers better value for money and gives greater security of tenure. We do not, however, rule out leasing where this is justified, but if the lease is for more than three years, the current market value of the property counts against the total capital allocation for police buildings.