HC Deb 19 October 1999 vol 336 c419W
Mr. Blunt

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average annual expenditure per Defence Housing Executive administered married quarters on repairs and maintenance for the year 1997–98. [94064]

Mr. Kilfoyle

In the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) 1999 Corporate Plan, the action plan sets out a key target relating to the unit cost of housing and aims to achieve a figure of less than £5,400 per property. A figure for 1998–99 was given on 26 July 1999,Official Report, column 56. For 1997–98, the calculation is similar—i.e. by dividing the total cost of the DHE (£343,429 million including some £100 million rental payment to Annington Homes Ltd) by the average number of properties occupied (including those which are Substitute Services Families Accommodation—52,832). The equivalent figure for FY 97–98, uprated for inflation, is £5,473.10 per property. The cost of the upgrade programme is not included as this is outside the routine cost of housing provision.