§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the prison officers' houses, which were vacant in Culcheth, have now been sold; how long they had been empty; what his Department received for the sale of this property; how many houses remain to be sold; when he expects these to be disposed of; if the prison officers' hostel is unsold; how long it has been unused; and what are the plans for this.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAll the 39 empty prison officer houses at Culcheth have been sold. Most have been vacant for seven to eight years. These properties, together with the prison officers' hostel, were sold for £540,000. Under the terms of the sale, the purchaser will bring the roads and other services on the whole estate up to the standard required for adoption by the local authority at nil cost to the Home Office. Six further houses that became vacant during 1988–89 are to be sold as soon as possible on the open market. The remaining 67 properties on the estate are used as prison officers' quarters, 47 of which are the subject of applications under the prison service discount sales scheme. The prison officers' hostel, which the purchaser proposes to demolish, has been unused for about seven years. The purchaser proposes to build houses on the site.