HC Deb 02 November 1999 vol 337 cc138-9W
Mr. Garnier

To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the assets sold by the Attorney-General's Department and its agencies and their value in each year from 1991–92 to 1998–99; and if he will estimate the value of asset sales planned to be made in the years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. [96405]

The Solicitor-General

Details for the Law Officers' Departments are as follows. The Serious Fraud Office disposed of no assets of material value in the years from 1991–92 to 1998–99 and currently do not estimate any material sales for 1999–2000 and 2000–01. The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers' disposed of no assets of material value in the years from 1991–92 to 1998–99 and currently do not estimate any material sales for 1999–2000 and 2000–01. The Crown Prosecution Service has sold three assets during the period 1991–92 to 1998–99, and has no plans to sell any assets in the years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. The asset sales, together with their value, are listed in the following table:

Year Asset Value (£)
1998–99 None 0
1997–98 3 buildings 415,070
1996–97 None 0
1995–96 None 0
1994–95 None 0
1993–94 None 0
1992–93 None 0
1991–92 None 0

The Treasury Solicitor's Department, including the Government Property Lawyers' Agency, has made the following asset sales:

Year Asset Value (£)
1998–99 Surplus IT equipment 2,505
Furniture/Office equipment 549

Performance Target
Annual efficiency savings in real terms 3%
To recover the full operating cost for chargeable services of the Agency 100%
To achieve an improvement of 20% on 1998–99 level of income recovery from clients within 30 days of their receipt of a validated invoice from 75% to: 90%
To increase the proportion of undisputed supplier invoices paid in accordance with terms or 30 days from 95% to: 100%
To maintain a level of client satisfaction of—(Advisory) 95%-100%
Reduction in average unit cost per chargeable hour in real terms—(Litigation) 2.5%
Minimum average number of chargeable hours per caseholder per year—(Litigation) 1,150
Reduction in average unit cost per case in real terms—(Bona Vacantia) 2.5%