§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the estimated income from the disposal of the Tolworth Toby Jug site which the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food included in their business plan for moving civil servants to Page Street in London; and what is now the agreed price for its disposal. [HL4801]
§ Baroness HaymanThe business plan for the relocation of Ministry staff from Tolworth to Page Street, London assumed that income from the disposal of the Toby Jug site would be £9 million. The Ministry of Defence subsequently agreed to pay the estimated open market value of the site with vacant possession and valuers put this at £9.6 million.
§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they decided to stop seeking commercial development opportunities for the Tolworth Toby Jug site of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and to dispose of it to the Ministry of Defence; and what were the consequences of this decision for the cost of moving the civil servants from Tolworth to London. [HL4802]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Ministry agreed in March this year to transfer the Tolworth Toby Jug site to the Ministry of Defence when it became clear that the latter could not relocate its Tolworth operations by the time that our requirement for the site ceased. The transfer took place on 1 July. Prior to this, discussions had taken place with various organisations which had expressed an interest in acquiring the Toby Jug site but the Ministry had not itself applied for any planning consent. Once the transfer had taken place, these organisations were advised to contact the Ministry of Defence if they wished to continue the discussions. None of this had any effect on the cost of moving civil servants to London.
§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the estimated cost according to their business plan, and the actual cost, of moving civil servants in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from the Tolworth Toby Jug site to Page Street in London; and from where these funds were obtained. [HL4800]
§ Baroness HaymanThe estimated cost used in the business plan of moving civil servants from Tolworth Toby Jug to Page Street in London was £92,500. The outturn cost was £92,000. The funding was obtained from within the Ministry's existing provision.