Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which buildings occupied by his 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 occupies two buildings that are owned or part owned privately, Skipton House and Premier House. Rental information is commercially sensitive and would adversely affect Her Majesty’s Government’s future ability to negotiate efficiencies and achieve value for money to the taxpayer.

The Department continues to review its estate in order to reduce costs. The Department has adopted a policy of co-locating with other organisations and most of the buildings it is responsible for contain a number of our arm’s length bodies.

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

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