HC Deb 07 February 2000 vol 344 cc29-30W
Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the annual cost of maintenance of The Keep at Imphal barracks, York; and what estimate he has made of the cost of renovation; [108665]

(2) what area of Portakabin office accommodation will be hired at Imphal barracks, York; for what reason; and at what cost; [108668]

(3) what (a) area and (b) proportion of custom-built office accommodation at Imphal barracks, York, will be used for document storage. [108669]

Mr. Spellar

The average annual cost of maintenance per year of The Keep at Imphal Barracks is some £600. In financial year 1998–99, however, exceptional work totalling £18,800 was carried out to repair the roof and re-point brickwork. There are no plans to renovate it.

There is no requirement to hire portakabins for use as office accommodation, as the existing office accommodation available within the Garrison is sufficient to meet our needs.

At present, there is no area of office accommodation at Imphal Barracks set aside for document storage. The relocation of the Defence Vetting Agency (DVA) to the Barracks in April 2000, however, will also involve the setting up of the DVA Library, estimated at 535 metres square, which will represent approximately 2.65 per cent. of the total office accommodation within the Barracks.