Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) currently occupies, wholly or partly, four buildings in London and one in Aberdeen. These buildings form the Core Estate of the Department and are currently required in order for DECC to carry out its business.

In London, DECC fully occupies ‘3 Whitehall Place’ and ‘55 Whitehall’, whilst partly occupying space at ‘Kings Buildings’ (3.5 floors of 9 floor building) and ‘One Victoria St’ (approx. 500SqM).

• 3 Whitehall Place – DECC pay rent to the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who lease from a private landlord.
• 55 Whitehall – DECC pay rent to the Crown Estate (landlord).
• Kings Buildings – DECC pay rent to Transport for London (TFL) who lease from a private landlord.
• One Victoria St – DECC pay rent to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) who lease from a private landlord.

In Aberdeen, DECC partly occupies space at Atholl House’ (2 floors of a 7 floor building) – DECC pay rent to BIS who lease from a private landlord.

In all cases above, the Department cannot release the value of these rental payments as this is considered commercially sensitive information.

As part of the Government’s Strategic Land & Property Review (SLPR), all Departments are working to reduce property costs either by exiting leasehold agreements or by selling/sub-letting freeholds. As part of this, DECC plan to amalgamate all of its London staff in 3 Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall during this financial year, thereby exiting Kings Buildings and One Victoria St. This will be achieved by creating a ‘smarter’, more flexible way of working.

The Government Property Unit (GPU) has created a portal - Find Me Some Government Space (https://www.gov.uk/find-government-property) - for more efficient marketing of surplus land and buildings. This is searchable by developers, community groups and the general public.

Further information on the the efficiency and sustainability of property in the government's civil estate is published in our State of the Estate Report 2013 - 2014 available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-estate-2014.