To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that married quarters declared surplus to requirements and offered for sale to civilian employees should attract the same rate of discount as his Department's civilian housing offered for sale in similar circumstances.

No. When married quarters which are capable of individual sale are declared surplus to requirements they are normally offered for sale to service personnel at 30 per cent. discount under the services' discount scheme. However, if any of these quarters are occupied by civilian tenants these occupants may be permitted, as an exceptional measure, to purchase the properties, but it would be unfair to allow them a larger discount than that available to service personnel for similar properties.