To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses are in the ownership of his Department in each district in Greater Manchester; and what percentage of these are empty.

The Department of the Environment does not own any houses in the Manchester area. There are, however, three flats held for the Lord Chancellor's Department, of which one, a caretaker's flat in Manchester Crown court, is vacant. Due to improvements in the Crown court security system there is no longer a need for a caretaker, but as the flat has no separate access it is not possible to offer it on the open market.