§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the current rules on disposal of the Defence Estate were agreed by his Department and the Treasury; what was the basis for their introduction; and what were the changes from the previous policy. [46748]
§ Mr. SpellarThe current rules on disposal of the Defence Estate were agreed between my Department and the Treasury on 9 July 1996. They were introduced to take into account new issues and policies that had arisen since the publication of the previous rules.
Changes to the previous policy were as follows: fuller guidance on the position of former owners; guidance on the definition of market value; advice that departments should consult other departments and non-departmental public bodies when major disposals were contemplated; additional guidance on methods of sale; and the removal of the requirement for prior Treasury approval for certain types of disposal.