To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence homes are currently unoccupied; and what percentage they are of the total stock.

As at 30 September 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, 9,966 Ministry of Defence owned houses and flats were vacant. Of these 9,834 were service married quarters and 132 Ministry of Defence civilian houses, representing 13·4 per cent. and 9·5 per cent. of the stock respectively. Many of these properties were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation, some were already allotted to service families who were due to move in shortly and others were being considered for disposal.