§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what(a) number and 360W (b) percentage of properties in his charge are empty; and what steps are being taken by his Department to reduce the number of such properties. [116920]
§ Mr. Chris SmithMy Department has the following properties unoccupied at present:
Address of property Wholly or partly unoccupied Date vacated Core Department 2nd Floor, 179a Tottenham Court Road, W11 Partly January 2000 Basement, 7 St. James's Square, SW12 Partly January 2000 Royal Parks Agency Brew House Bushey Park3 Wholly © 1998 New Lodge Bushey Park4 Wholly December 1999 White Lodge, Bushey Park4 Wholly © 1980 Vanburgh Gate Lodge, Greenwich Park4 Wholly ©January 2000 1 Area became vacant following closure of Y2K contingency office. Temporarily occupied by the Film Council but being actively marketed. 2 Area became vacant following Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) reducing their occupation prior to finding alternative premises. Being actively marketed. 3 Requires the completion of restoration before re-occupation. 4 Expected that re-occupation by RPA staff will occur during 2000–01. The Department's office premises that are partly vacant are being marketed with a view to occupation during the new financial year (2000–01), and the Royal Parks Agency expects at least three of the four properties listed above to be re-occupied by members of staff during 2000–01.