To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) the market value and (b) his Department’s valuation is of his Department’s Gleadthorpe Cottages in Meden Vale. (170559)

[holding answer 3 December 2007]: The 15 residential dwellings at Gleadthorpe farm reverted back to direct Departmental management following the surrender of the ADAS farm tenancy on 28th September 2007.

The only valuation the Departmental has commissioned to date is a market valuation assuming vacant possession for the purposes of making ‘offers to purchase’ to the qualifying tenants in line with the right to buy provisions under the Housing Act. This is the appropriate valuation basis for the market value provided.

The market value of the cottages as reported by the Department’s valuer is £1,825,000.

The Department does not currently have any other valuations of the cottages.