§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty homes his Department had five years ago, by region; if he will establish an empty homes strategy within his Department; and if he will set a target for reduction in empty homes. [92922]
§ Mr. LeslieThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed in May 2002. Therefore, we do not have information on empty homes from five years ago. The Fire Service College, an executive agency of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, currently has one vacant residential property, at the college site in Moreton-in-Marsh, which it envisages will be let shortly. The College's strategy is to ensure that residential property that is not required for staff use is held out for letting on short term tenancies. Its target is to ensure that it has no residential stock vacant for more than three months.