§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the(a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) his Department, (ii) his agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility in each of the last four years. [30070]
§ Mr. MacShaneIt is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's policy to limit empty properties to one of four categories: (a) those that must be vacated while 33W undergoing refurbishment or adaptation; (b) those that are surplus and in the process of disposal; (c) those we cannot occupy because of a break in diplomatic relations or a similar eventuality, but we expect to need in the future; and (d) short gaps between officers' overseas tours.
Because routine management of the estate is devolved to our overseas posts, it is not possible to identify these properties or their costs without disproportionate cost.