asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial arrangements have been made with English Estates Ltd. for the relocation of the Tropical Development Research Institute in the former Chatham Dockyard; and what will be the capital cost of the building adaptation.

English Estates Limited will meet the capital cost of approximately £10·8 million of adapting buildings in the former HMS Pembroke. It will then lease them to the Property Services Agency, on behalf of the institute, on completion of the work, and lease negotiations are now in progress.