§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much he is spending on the rental of accommodation in London for his Department; and what is the highest rental charge he is paying per square foot for accommodation.
§ Mr. Howard[holding answer 23 June 1992]: It is not policy to reveal the open market rents negotiated by Government for its office accommodation as these are commercially confidential. However, the internal charge paid by my Department for its central London offices includes £10,625,159 per annum (exclusive of VAT) as the assessed rent based on open market values. The highest assessed charge per square foot is £19.61.