§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many surplus properties his Department(a) has and (b) will have over the next 10 years; what their value is; and if he will make a statement. [87000]
§ Mr. McCartneyThere are currently 44 properties that are surplus to the Department's accommodation requirements, six of these are freehold and 38 leasehold. The freeholds are valued at £1,605,000. It is difficult to place a value on the leaseholds, given the prevailing market conditions.
The Department is currently developing an estate strategy to meet our future business requirements and in particular support the implementation and rollout of Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service. Until the strategy work is completed we cannot forecast how many properties in total will be required and consequently how many properties in total will be surplus to requirements.