§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 29 January 2002,Official Report, column 240W, what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) her Department, (b) her agencies and (c) other public bodies for which she has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997. [37913]
§ Mr. MorleyThe information requested is set out in the tables. As the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was created on 8 June 2001, this relates to the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Department does not hold centrally information about properties occupied by non-departmental public bodies.
Under Treasury guidelines, Departments have up to three years or more to dispose of surplus properties to ensure that the best possible price is obtained. The areas of some empty properties will, therefore, be included in more than one of the total annual area figures shown in the tables.
Redundant buffer depots (food stores) formerly used to accommodate the strategic food stockpile account for a large proportion of the empty core DEFRA space (figures shown in italics). However, the programme of disposals of buffer depots is now nearing completion.
Total area of empty core DEFRA properties in square metres and (square feet) including former buffer depots1 Square metres Square metres Square feet Square feet 2000–01 89,800 88,200 996,600 949,400 1999–2000 106,300 106,200 1,144,200 1,43,100 1998–99 118,400 111,600 1,274,400 1,201,300 1997–98 132,900 128,100 1,430,500 1,378,900 1Also shown separately in italics
Total area of empty DEFRA agency properties Square metres Square feet 2000–01 4,800 51,700 1999–2000 5,800 62,400 1998–99 1,700 18,300 1997–98 1,700 18,300