Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Attorney General:
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.
Answered by Dominic Grieve
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.
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.
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
The remaining Law Officers' Departments do not have any vacant properties.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, when he expects to answer question No. 191801 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 12 March 2014.
Answered by Dominic Grieve
I have done so today.