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<p> </p><p>Whilst noting the many virtues of Brighton, as recognised by the conferring
of City status to the towns of Brighton and Hove by Her Majesty in 2000, I am afraid
I have to disappoint my hon. Friend. My Department has no current plans to dig out
our bucket and spade and move to the seaside.</p><p>Since May 2010, my Department's
priority has been to rationalise our wider estate to reduce costs. This has seen the
Department surrender six leasehold office properties through a combination of lease
breaks and expiries generating net savings in the period of around £7 million per
annum. The Department has also successfully sub-let surplus space across its leasehold
office estate during the same period, reducing the overall property costs by around
£11.1 million.</p><p>The Department has also negotiated the early surrender of Eland
House and is shortly scheduled to relocate to 2 Marsham Street to share premises with
the Home Office. This move will reduce our Department's running costs by a further
£9 million a year and generate savings for the taxpayer of £220 million over the lifetime
of the building's lease. This illustrates the scope for Government and, indeed, the
public sector as a whole to make sensible savings through better property management.</p><p>However,
I commend the hon. Member for his cheerleading of the City as a place to do business.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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