To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what properties his (a) Department and (b) Department's (i) executive agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies have sold in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been sold for housing development. (266496)

Details of the properties sold by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have been provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on a quarterly basis since financial year 2004-05. This information is published in the Committee's annual reports on the FCO's Departmental Report and is available for viewing online on their website at:

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/foreign_affairs_committee/foreignaffairs_committee_reports_and_publications.cfm

The British Council, an Executive non-departmental public body of the FCO, has sold one leasehold property in the UK only in the last five years; the British Council's office in Oxford.

Information on the sale of its overseas properties is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

None of the FCO's other Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies have sold property over the last five years.

Information on the subsequent use of properties sold is not held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.