§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the maintenance of the married quarters housing estate in each of the last five years. [36121]
§ Mr. SoamesTotal works expenditure on the married quarters estate was not separately identified and aggregated FY95–96. The total expenditure on married quarters works for 1995–96 was £165.5 million, of which we estimate that £40 million was spent on improvements leading to upgrade.
§ 27. Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Army Families Federation concerning the sale of the married housing stock. [34925]
127W
§ Mr. ArbuthnotMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met the chairman of the Army Families Federation on 2 July to discuss the sale of the married quarter estate and he plans to see the chairman of the Association of RAF Wives tomorrow; he has also corresponded with them. In addition, Ministers have had four meetings to discuss the sale of the married quarters estate with those organisations: on 12 June 1995 with my noble Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence; on 24 October 1995 and 4 March 1996 with my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence; and with me on 30 April 1996. In addition, my right hon. Friend plans to meet the chairman of the Association of RAF Wives tomorrow. A detailed briefing was provided by officials on 13 December 1995 following the publication of the preliminary information memorandum.
§ 28. Mr. MillerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has in respect of the disposal of married quarters at Dale camp, Chester. [34926]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThese married quarters are included in the proposed sale of the married quarters estate in England and Wales. They are among those which we currently intend to lease back initially from the purchaser.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the sale of married quarters estate at RAF Finningley. [36124]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotA number of my Department's married quarters at RAF Finningley were sold in December 1995. The remainder are currently intended for inclusion in the sale of the married quarters estate.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from members of the building industry, mortgage lenders and estate agents about the consequences for the housing market of the sale of his Department's married quarters housing stock in England and Wales. [36203]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotI am not aware of any such representations.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of Ministry of Defence married quarters in England and Wales(a) by county and (b) by local authority at the latest available date. [36204]
§ Mr. SoamesThe information requested is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the level of the guaranteed payment each year to the purchaser of the married quarters estate in England and Wales, under the terms of the sale set out in paragraph 4.2.4 of his Department's preliminary information memorandum; [36192]
(2) how many properties his Department is committed to vacating each year under the guaranteed release provision of sale of the married quarters estate as set out in paragraph 4.2.3 of his Department's preliminary information memorandum; [36193]
(3) what is the fixed factor which will be used to reduce the open market rental value of the married quarters estate in order to calculate the MOD rent, as set out in paragraph 4.3 of his Department's preliminary information memorandum; [36194]
128W(4) what proportion of the profits from disposals of properties in the married quarters estate will accrue to his Department under the terms of the sale of the estate as set out in paragraph 4.4 of his Department's preliminary information memorandum. [36195]
Mr. ArburthnotThe detailed information requested is commercially confidential. As the preliminary information memorandum explains in paragraph 4.3, the aggregate open market rental value will be reduced by a fixed factor taking account of my Department's repairing obligation, the overall size of the letting and the quality of my Department's covenant. The guaranteed payment will be set at a level equivalent to the rent on a declining proportion of the estate, and would take effect only if my Department retained a much lower proportion of the estate than we expect to do. The guaranteed release has been set at a similarly conservative level, to leave my Department with sufficient flexibility to cope with any reasonably foreseeable requirement for quarters from the existing estate.
§ Dr. ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to collate information on the sale of the married quarters estate by parliamentary constituency. [35731]
§ Mr. Arbuthnot[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters unfit for service families his Department owned in each district council area in North Yorkshire; and how many of these homes were empty on 30 March(a) 1991, (b) 1992, (c) 1993, (d) 1994, (e) 1995 and (f) 1996. [35984]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The information is not available in the form requested.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been required to vacate married quarters in North Yorkshire as a result of leaving the armed services in each of the last four years. [35985]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 8 July 1996]: Records are not kept centrally and details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.