HC Deb 19 December 2001 vol 377 cc338-9W
Sandra Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost is of the HMS Gannet site, including rates and utilities. [23935]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: The total cost of the HMS Gannet site, including rents, rates, utilities and property management, is in the order of £1.736 million per year, inclusive of VAT.

Sandra Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if serving personnel based at HMS Gannet are renting private accommodation to armed forces personnel based at HMS Gannet(a) as part of the Hambros scheme and (b) by other methods. [23936]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: Three Naval personnel, currently serving at HMS Gannet, are renting accommodation which they own to other armed forces personnel also based at HMS Gannet. The property involved is rented by Hambros Countrywide Mobility Service, who are the agents for Substitute Single Service Accommodation on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

We do not hold records on personnel based at HMS Gannet who are renting out private accommodation by means other than through the Hambros scheme, as that would be a private transaction.

Sandra Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel who are in the Hambros scheme were previously accommodated at HMS Gannet. [23937]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: There are 78 Naval personnel and 21 RAF personnel currently living in Substitute Single Service Accommodation (the Hambros scheme), who were previously accommodated at HMS Gannet.

Sandra Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the cost of the leases of HMS Gannet site are(a) detailed and (b) publicly available in the asset register of Defence Estates. [23938]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: HMS Gannet is occupied and held by Commander in Chief Fleet and therefore Defence Estates do not show the property in their annual accounts, but do show it within their property records, as per all other departmental properties.

Because the property is held at market rent there is no value in the land to the Department, however the Ministry of Defence buildings on site are shown on page 298 of the National Asset Register holdings of Commander in Chief Fleet under the heading "Royal Naval Air Station Prestwick".

While the actual cost of the leases of the property are detailed within departmental records, the precise details are commercial in confidence and I am therefore withholding details under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.