This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Although figures for 1997 and 1998 are not available, those UK Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties assessed for their Standard for Condition (SfC) were at the following standard in each year since 1999:
S1fC S2fC S3fC S4fC Total 1999 3,412 20,194 30,174 2,242 56,022 2000 12,750 28,352 15,667 605 57,374 2001 15,623 31,936 7,061 1,078 55,698 2002 20,699 26,007 4,877 349 51,932 2003 23,827 23,772 3,481 203 51,283 2004 25,276 22,215 3,083 146 50,720 2005 26,426 20,774 2,792 195 50,187 2006 28,796 18,950 2,309 159 50,214 2007 29,691 17,910 2,165 145 49,911 2008 28,354 17,414 2,098 109 47,975
Like for like figures are not available for the overseas SFA estate.
For the latest number of SFA in England and Wales at each SfC I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 17 March 2009, Official Report, columns 43-44WS. As at March 2009, SFA in Scotland was at the following SFC:
SfC Properties S1fC 3,120 S2fC 102 S3fC 5
In 2008-09 the Ministry of Defence spent some £48 million on new projects and upgrades relating to its worldwide holdings of Service Family Accommodation (SFA). Of this expenditure around £40 million was in respect of SFA in the UK, £7 million in Cyprus and £1 million in Germany.
A breakdown of the major elements of expenditure on the UK SFA, by location is shown in the following table.
Location £ million Abingdon 0.8 Aldershot 1.1 Brize Norton 1.0 Blandford 5.9 Bulford 0.4 Catterick 0.2 Chester 6.0 Chicksands 2.0 Colchester 0.7 Coningsby 0.7 Cranwell 0.2 Craigiehall 0.5 Elgin 0.4 Giffnock/Hampden 0.2 High Wycombe 1.5 Leeming 1.6 Leuchars 0.4 Lisburn, Northern Ireland 4.1 Innsworth 2.0 Invicta Park 3.5 Peninsular Towers, London 0.4 Warminster 0.8 Williams Gardens, Putney 3.0 Total 37.4
The Department was planning to spend £48 million in each year of the next five years on the upgrade of SFA to its highest standard for condition. However as the hon. Member will know from the Budget statement on 22 April 2009, this Department is bringing forward £50 million to be spent on accommodation.
The details of this expenditure have yet to be determined. I will write to the hon. Member when a decision has been taken.
The decision was made in early 1996 to sell some 57,428 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL), of which some 55,055 were immediately leased back in order to provide accommodation for entitled service personnel and their families.
When it is identified that there is no future requirement for properties, the leases are terminated and the properties returned to AHL. Since 1996 the MOD has handed back some 16,751 SFA.
As the properties are not owned by the MOD, compensation is not payable when leases are terminated. The onward sale or disposal of properties is a matter for the company. However, the 1996 Sale Agreement included a profit-share whereby the Exchequer receives a percentage of any profit made on the subsequent disposal of properties and land that form a part of any release to the company. To date the Exchequer has received approximately £156 million under the terms of this agreement.
The requested information is not held centrally and will take a little time to collate and verify. I will write to the hon. Member.
None. There is no mechanism for service personnel to receive mortgage interest payments for any type of property they may have a financial interest in.