Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the potential merits of signing a covenant with Portsmouth City Council to prevent the land at the St James' Hospital site being developed.

This is a matter for NHS Property Services (NHS PS).

NHS PS has advised that there is no operational rationale for a covenant to restrict the future use and development of surplus land and buildings at the site.

We understand there are local proposals, under the St Mary’s and St James’ Estate Project in Portsmouth, aiming:

- to make St Mary’s Community Health Campus the focus of community care services in Portsmouth;

- to retain mental health facilities at St James’ Hospital;

- to reduce substantial areas of unused space at both sites;

- to dispose of surplus land and buildings at St James’ and invest in St Mary’s and other NHS facilities in the city, and

- to generate savings of circa £3 million in the ongoing cost of running the NHS-owned and occupied estate.

As part of the rationalisation plans, we are advised surplus land and buildings at St James’ Hospital will be released for redevelopment and this will take place over two phases.