The Law Officers' Departments have been actively reducing their estate running costs since 2010 in line with Government policy and have already made significant savings.<\/p>
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estate rationalisation programme began in 2009 and is set to be completed in 2016, with most of the leases on empty property having expired by then. This programme has already led to a reduction in expenditure and increased efficiency. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has paid £320,178.38 in property business rates in the current financial year on the properties which are currently recorded as vacant on the ePIMS database as at 14 March 2014. The costs figure has been produced by DTZ who are CPS' managing agents and has not yet been audited.<\/p>
The Treasury Solicitor's Department owns a lease on a building which has some vacant space. This building attracts full business rates in the current financial year. This lease is due to expire in 2016. The estimated business rates for the vacant proportion of the property for 2013/14 are £59 372.71<\/p>
The remaining Law Officers' Departments do not have any vacant properties.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/16", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Dominic Grieve"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Beaconsfield"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Dominic Grieve"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-07T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of the Law Officers' Departments in the current financial year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"} ], "uin" : "191801"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42698", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42698/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
At the time of the last General Election the central Government estate was far larger than required and taxpayers were paying to maintain, run and rent properties which were under-occupied while other part of the freehold estate remained vacant.<\/p>
The Government Property Unit has been supporting departments to rationalise rapidly the Government's estate including by taking a whole of Government view of property. Since the 2010 General Election over £1.25 billion has been raised by selling surplus freehold properties. Through the exiting of property across the central civil estate, we have also delivered cumulative, gross run rate savings of over £454 million per annum.<\/p>
Where surplus property is awaiting disposal or lease end, the government looks to explore all disposal options, including commercially sub-letting all or part of the space. Surplus property is listed on gov.uk<\/p>
There is no liability at taxpayers' expense for business rates on any vacant Cabinet Office properties in the current financial year.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-19T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"} ], "uin" : "191802"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42734", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42734/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since May 2010 the Department for Education has reduced the size of its estate from 30 properties, at a cost of circa £51 million per annum, to 11 properties costing circa £34 million per annum. This is a saving of circa £17 million per annum. The Department is planning to further reduce the size of the estate to 6 properties. This will achieve further annual savings to the Department of circa £2.5 million. The Department also plans to vacate Sanctuary Buildings at lease expiry in 2017.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department for Education, including the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), has the following vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS property database.<\/p>
| <\/td> | Number of properties<\/p><\/td> | Business Rates 13-14<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
Department for Education<\/p><\/td> | 3<\/p><\/td> | £79,010.25<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service<\/p><\/td> | 1<\/p><\/td> | £9,222.00<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> The Department for Education properties are legacy Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) properties which became the Department's responsibility following the closure of the TEC in the early 2000s. The Department had successfully sub-let a number of facilities, although over the last three years some of the sub-tenants have operated lease break options and the properties are again vacant.<\/p> <\/p> These properties are advertised on the Government Property Unit's e-PIMS property database for use by other Government Departments and we are also marketing these facilities to the private sector, via letting agents, to secure new sub-tenants in order to mitigate costs, including business rates. The Department has offered all vacant properties listed above to the Government business incubator initiative and for free schools.<\/p> <\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4097", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Elizabeth Truss"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Norfolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Elizabeth Truss"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-19T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"} ], "uin" : "191806"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42885", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42885/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department does not own any buildings. The DWP estate was sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Telereal Trillium under a 20 year PFI contract known as \u201cPRIME\u201d in 1998. <\/p> <\/p> Any properties that become surplus to DWP's requirements are returned to Telereal Trillium under the PRIME contract.<\/p> <\/p> The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database in the current financial year is £40,143.33. However, this relates to Douglas House in Edinburgh which, strictly speaking, is not empty. There are other occupants in the property but HSE's space held on e-PIMS is shown as vacant to attract potential tenants. As a result, the e-PIMS entry will make Douglas House appear empty.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1528", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mike Penning"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hemel Hempstead"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mike Penning"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-18T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"}
], "uin" : "191815"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41278", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Deputy Prime Minister"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41278/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Political parties are regulated by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000. Under its provisions, parties that wish to field candidates at elections and have their name appear on the ballot paper must be registered with the Electoral Commission (section 22). There are separate registers for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1578", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Greg Clark"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tunbridge Wells"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Greg Clark"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-10T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "58"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what requirements there are for a political party operating in another country which has a branch in the UK to register with the Electoral Commission.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hilary Benn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hilary Benn"}
], "uin" : "190541"}
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