To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Monmouth of 7 January 2010, Official Report, column 528W, on UK Border Agency: empty property, how many empty (a) dwellings and (b) business premises for which the UK Border Agency is responsible were empty in 2008-09. (314958)

The information requested is as follows:

(a) In 2008-09 the UK Border Agency had contracts with 18 suppliers providing accommodation for asylum seekers. The Agency only pay for asylum accommodation on a per person per night basis and do not have any liability for empty dwellings.

(b) In 2008-09 the Agency had in the region of 200 properties of which five were empty once occupation had ended or six if separate floors of one are counted individually. Of the six properties two leases have already ended, two will expire within the next three months and one has lease expiry in 18 months. Overall the Agency has benefited from reduced property, IT and productivity gains from rationalisation that outweigh the costs on these buildings.