§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the properties transferred to Astra Training Services Ltd. in 1990 as part of the privatisation of the skills training agency, and their market value at that time; what is the total sum received by the356W Government in respect of the sales of any of those properties since 1990; and what details have been supplied to him of the current ownership of each of the properties and the current status of the agreement made with Astra Training Services Ltd. regarding the clawback of any profit on the sales of the properties following the company's collapse.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe following 33 properties were transferred to Astra Training Services Ltd. in 1990 as part of the privatisation of the Skills Training Agency:
Barking Medway Basildon Milton Keynes Bellshill North Staffs Billingham Norwich Birmingham Peterborough Bradford Plymouth Bristol Preston Cheshire Redruth Dundee Rochdale Durham Sheffield Enfield Southampton Gloucester Tyneside Gwent West Glamorgan Hillingdon West Sussex Hull Wigan Irvine Wrexham Manchester The market value of the properties at the time of the privatisation is a matter of commercial confidentiality. The Government have received no sum in respect of the sale of any of the above properties since 1990 and full details of the current owners of each of the properties have been supplied to the Department, along with confirmation that, in all but one case, the clawback conditions continue to apply to new owners.
None of the sales to date has triggered an actual clawback payment, due mainly to the low values generated in the depressed property market which has prevailed since privatisation.
In the one case where clawback no longer applies, Hillington, the Government accepted a settlement payment—£50,000—to remove the clawback provisions. This was on the advice of the Department's professional advisers, who saw no prospect of any actual clawback payment in a similar amount being triggered within the remaining clawback period.