To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many properties owned by the Department and its predecessors were liable for payment of (a) business rates and (b) empty property rates in each of the last five years; and what the bill for each was in each such year. (290539)

The Department for Children, Schools and Families and its predecessors has spent the following on business rates in each of the last five years. The Department did not own any properties that were subject to empty property rates during this period.