To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of repairs and maintenance at properties occupied by the Assistant Chief of the General Staff in 2006. (128272)

Both the current and former Assistant Chief of General Staff occupied the same Substitute Service Accommodation in 2006 for which the Department paid a rent to a private provider. The provider is responsible for carrying out the required repairs and maintenance at the property, but is not required to provide MOD with details of the costs of doing so, which are included in the rent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of (a) gardening and (b) repairs and maintenance at properties occupied by (i) the Chief of the General Staff, (ii) the Adjutant-General and (iii) members of the Army Board in 2006. (128273)

The Army Board consists of the Secretary of State for Defence, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, the Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the Chief of the General Staff, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Commander in Chief Land Command, Adjutant-General, Assistant Chief of the General Staff, the Director General of Land Equipment, Master General of the Ordnance and General Officer Commanding (Northern Ireland).

Civilian members of the Army Board are not entitled to occupy defence accommodation.

Military Army Board members are accommodated under a variety of arrangements. For only some of these arrangements are costs separately identifiable. In some cases such costs are included in the rent payable.

However, available information shows that in the financial year 2005-06 the following amounts were spent: