§ Ms LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how his Department has performed against last year's targets for reducing empty Government residential property; and what new targets have been set for 1998–99. [68345]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesI am pleased to announce that the Welsh Office was largely successful in meeting the target set for disposal of empty government homes in 1997–98.
We are continuing to set challenging targets for disposal or bringing back into use those properties which become empty and hope to be able to maintain our success over the coming year.
Details of achievements against targets for 1997–98 and new targets for 1998–99 are set as follows.
Empty government residential property Number Welsh Office achievements 1997–98 Total stock 1 April 1997 114 Empty stock 1 April 1997 33 1997–98 Target for disposal or bringing back into use 33 Achievement against target 28 Welsh Office targets 1998–99 Total stock 1 April 1998 136 Empty stock 1 April 1998 117 Target for disposal or bringing back into use 9 1 Includes 8 properties vandalised/derelict held for future road schemes and considered unsuitable for bringing back into use In future this will become the responsibility of the National Assembly.