§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of properties owned by his240W Department and suitable for residential accommodation have been empty for (i) up to a year and (ii) over a year; and where these properties are located, by region of the United Kingdom or local authority area.
§ Mr. CopeThe Employment Department group has title, either freehold or leasehold, to 36 residential properties. Of these, one flat in Morden, Surrey has been vacant for more than a year, while major repairs and refurbishment works are carried out. Two houses associated with Letchworth skillcentre, and intended for keyworker staff, have been unoccupied since December 1988.