(2) how many and what percentage of Annington Homes' service accommodation units that have been sold have been bought by (a) service personnel and (b) service families since 1997.
The majority of service family accommodation properties in England and Wales are owned by Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) and leased by the Department until there is no longer a defence use for them, when they are handed back to AHL for disposal on the open market. While there is no obligation on AHL to offer discounts to current or former service personnel when selling its properties, it has in the past offered certain incentives, concessions or priority to personnel voluntarily. We understand that between 25 and 30 per cent. of properties have been sold in this way.
Surplus non-AHL residential properties in the United Kingdom are normally sold on the open market through competition in accordance with Treasury guidance in order to achieve the maximum receipt for the tax-payer. For these reasons, the Department is not able to offer priority, first refusal or discounts to service personnel. However, potential options are currently being explored to determine whether greater assistance might be given to service personnel. Currently, we are mindful of local needs and accordingly properties may be sold either individually or, in some cases, in bulk to local authorities or other registered social landlords as appropriate.