HC Deb 05 March 1992 vol 205 cc249-50W
Mr. Soley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residential properties owned by his Department are(a) empty, (b) for sale on the open market, (c) intended for sale on the open market and (d) for sale to housing associations, in terms of numbers and percentage of stock.

Mrs. Rumbold

The latest available estimate of the information requested is:

  1. (a)345 (12.5 per cent.) properties are empty, of which 210 (7.7 per cent.) are retained for redevelopment, security reasons, essential reallocation or demolition, and are therefore not available for disposal;
  2. (b) 120 (4.3 per cent.) properties are on the open market, of which 85 are the subject of an agreed sale and are awaiting completion;
  3. (c) 15 (0.5 per cent.) properties arc to be placed on the market for sale; and
  4. (d) there are no special arrangements for sales to housing associations, but any properties on the market are available for purchase by housing associations if they consider them suitable.