Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Gilbert on 22 January (WA 263), how their current expenditure programme for the refurbishment of the Armed Forces' married quarters compares with the most recent such expenditure programme of the previous 152WA government, noting in particular any difference in the programme of expenditure facilitated by the additional £100 million yielded by the sale of the married quarters estate to Annington Homes. [HL623]
§ Lord GilbertProvision for the upgrade of Armed Forces' married quarters in Great Britain which are managed by the Defence Housing Executive totals £470 million over the seven years following the sale of most of the estate in England and Wales to Annington Homes in November 1996. This level of funding will maintain the expenditure planned by the previous Government. Of the additional £100 million which the previous Government allocated to refurbishment at the time of the sale, £8 million was spent in financial year 1996–97, compared to £6 million planned, £20 million is forecast to be spent in financial year 1997–98 and the balance of £72 million is planned to be spent by 2002–03 as stated in my previous answer. In addition to the above programme, £4.1 million has been transferred from the Defence Housing Executive to the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland, to upgrade properties there.