§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements have been made to publish the efficiency unit's scrutiny report on the management of the Government's civil estate.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI am pleased to publish today the Scrutiny report on the management of the Government's civil estate.
The Prime Minister has welcomed the findings. He commissioned the scrutiny in July 1993 to consider how far responsibility for civil estate properties could be passed to Departments and agencies and to identify central systems which should be retained or established. The Government will now proceed to implement the reports broad findings. The reports main recommendations are:
that Departments should take responsibility as principals for the property they occupy;that property holdings should be reconstituted as an executive agency; to co-ordinate the Government's market activity on the civil estate and to promote rationalisation of the estate; to provide Departments with a body of off-the-shelf advice and support; and to provide intelligent customer support to those Departments who do not have in-house facilities. (The Government will consider further which Department is to sponsor the new agency.)The scrutiny team was also asked to look specifically at the management of historic buildings on the civil estate and 226W extended its review to include historic building issues on the defence estate. The team concluded that the arrangements introduced in 1992 for regular audit and monitoring of the condition of the historic estate had started well and should be given further time to work. New guidance should be provided to Departments on procedures for the disposal of surplus historic property. This would ensure that the special considerations which may arise in connection with heritage disposals are taken fully into account in applying normal disposal rules.
Copies of the efficiency unit scrutiny have been placed in the Library of the House.