§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many empty buildings his Department currently owns; what is the cost of insuring and securing these buildings; how many were designed as residential properties; and what was the total amount spent by his Department on empty property taxes in each of the last five years. [14569]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMost of the office space provided for Government Departments is part of the Government's common user estate and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will provide details of empty buildings on the CUE and their respective costs.
The Scottish Office and its agencies currently own 60 empty Crown buildings, of which 39 were designed as residential properties. As a general rule, the Government carry their own insurance risk. The cost of securing these buildings cannot be readily quantified and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
The total amount known to have been spent on empty property taxes in each of the years was as follows:
- 1991–92: Nil
- 1992–93: £8,516
- 1993–94: £2,148
- 1994–95: £3,727
- 1995–96: £5,425.
Figures are not available centrally for the amount spent on property taxes by health boards.