The information requested is not collected centrally in relation to NHS sites.

There are 29 sites on the Department's asset register owned by the Department of Health with no clinical function. Their locations and current values are as follows:

Richmond House and Wellington House are used to deliver the Department's operations. The other sites are owned by the Department and a disposal strategy is in place for each of them. Some of these sites have buildings, but as they are non-operational and the value lies in the land for asset value purposes, so there is only an asset value for the land. Work is ongoing in the Department to rationalise the estates portfolio as part of the Government drive to create efficiency savings.

My hon. Friend can reassure his constituents that prisoners will no longer watch Sky subscription television channels, and they will no longer watch 18-rated DVDs. As my hon. Friend knows, we are looking comprehensively at the incentives and earned privileges scheme in prisons to make sure that prisoners earn any incentives and privileges that they receive.

Many of my constituents in South Staffordshire believe that many prisoners have far too many home comforts in their cells, and that there is far too much contraband in the prison system. What action has my hon. Friend taken to make sure that we run a spartan regime, and not a holiday camp?

Prison governors or directors have the power under prison rules to confiscate any unauthorised item found in the possession of a prisoner or elsewhere within a prison. In addition, following the excellent stewardship of my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew), the Prisons (Property) Act 2013, which received Royal Assent on 28 February, will, when commenced, provide prison governors and directors with a statutory power to destroy or otherwise dispose of unauthorised property confiscated from a prisoner.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service occupies three properties in Herefordshire but does not own any of these. One of the properties it occupies is operated as a PFI and the two further properties are occupied under leasehold agreements. Details of all three properties, including their extent of occupation, are included in the following table.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service gains no financial benefits via sublet or Memorandum of Terms of Occupancy of space at any of these properties.

As my noble friend is aware, primary care trusts (PCTs) will shortly cease to exist. As there is no single successor body, this necessitated alternative arrangements for the future ownership and management of the existing estate. The department announced in August 2011 that National Health Service providers would have the opportunity to acquire ‘service critical clinical infrastructure’, subject to certain criteria being met.

The creation of NHS Property Services Limited (NHS PS), a limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health, to take that part of the estate not transferring to NHS providers was announced on 25 January 2012.

The company’s objectives will be to: hold property for use by community and primary care services, including for use by social enterprises; deliver value for money property services; cut costs of administering the estate by consolidating the management of over 150 estates; deliver and develop cost-effective property solutions for community health services; and dispose of property surplus to NHS requirements.

The key benefit of the new model will be the opportunities offered by consolidating assets, skills and experience from 151 PCTs to create an organisation of increased scale and standing, which is more professionally specialised and commercially focused. This will free up resources to improve properties and front-line services.

The key short-term objective behind the creation of NHS PS is to ensure a smooth transition into the new NHS system, ensuring that properties remain safe, clean and available for use by the NHS.

The majority of services will be commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups, with the interests of patients a priority. It is only properties that are surplus to NHS requirements that are disposed of now, and this will continue to be the case after 1 April. There will be a number of properties that have already been declared surplus by the NHS locally which will transfer to the company for disposal. Any rationalisation of services to make further properties surplus to requirements will need to be supported by local commissioners.

All sale proceeds will be reinvested to support front-line healthcare services.

With regard to the audit of properties held by strategic health authorities and PCTs, i.e. the due diligence exercise, the approximate cost is £1.6 million.

This figure constitutes the carrying out of the legal due diligence work, i.e. reviewing the title information and due diligence enquiries and preparing freehold and lease reports in respect of properties that will transfer to NHS PS and community health partnerships (CHP). This is work undertaken by lawyers on behalf of the department, NHS PS and CHP. This is a significant cost, but it must be considered in context. The company will manage a national portfolio of approximately 3,500 properties, worth circa £3 billion.

NHS Property Services Limited is the registered name of the company, although it has colloquially been referred to in some instances as “PropCo”. No consultants were involved or cost incurred in choosing the name of the company.

Finally, with regard to the system of accountability, the sole shareholder of the company is the Secretary of State and a departmental official sits on the company board as a representative of the Secretary of State.

Accountability for the actions and expenditure of NHS PS is via the department, and its Permanent Secretary to Parliament. As such, the company can be held to account via the department through the parliamentary committee system, and parliamentary Questions in both Houses. As a public sector body (100% owned by Secretary of State) it is subject to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

As a limited company, NHS PS is required to file an annual report and accounts in Companies House. The department’s group of accounts will also reflect the company's operations. A copy of the company's articles of association, which gives more detail, has already been placed in the Library.

As my noble friend is aware, primary care trusts (PCTs) will shortly cease to exist. As there is no single successor body, this necessitated alternative arrangements for the future ownership and management of the existing estate. The department announced in August 2011 that National Health Service providers would have the opportunity to acquire ‘service critical clinical infrastructure’, subject to certain criteria being met.

The creation of NHS Property Services Limited (NHS PS), a limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health, to take that part of the estate not transferring to NHS providers was announced on 25 January 2012.

The company’s objectives will be to: hold property for use by community and primary care services, including for use by social enterprises; deliver value for money property services; cut costs of administering the estate by consolidating the management of over 150 estates; deliver and develop cost-effective property solutions for community health services; and dispose of property surplus to NHS requirements.

The key benefit of the new model will be the opportunities offered by consolidating assets, skills and experience from 151 PCTs to create an organisation of increased scale and standing, which is more professionally specialised and commercially focused. This will free up resources to improve properties and front-line services.

The key short-term objective behind the creation of NHS PS is to ensure a smooth transition into the new NHS system, ensuring that properties remain safe, clean and available for use by the NHS.

The majority of services will be commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups, with the interests of patients a priority. It is only properties that are surplus to NHS requirements that are disposed of now, and this will continue to be the case after 1 April. There will be a number of properties that have already been declared surplus by the NHS locally which will transfer to the company for disposal. Any rationalisation of services to make further properties surplus to requirements will need to be supported by local commissioners.

All sale proceeds will be reinvested to support front-line healthcare services.

With regard to the audit of properties held by strategic health authorities and PCTs, i.e. the due diligence exercise, the approximate cost is £1.6 million.

This figure constitutes the carrying out of the legal due diligence work, i.e. reviewing the title information and due diligence enquiries and preparing freehold and lease reports in respect of properties that will transfer to NHS PS and community health partnerships (CHP). This is work undertaken by lawyers on behalf of the department, NHS PS and CHP. This is a significant cost, but it must be considered in context. The company will manage a national portfolio of approximately 3,500 properties, worth circa £3 billion.

NHS Property Services Limited is the registered name of the company, although it has colloquially been referred to in some instances as “PropCo”. No consultants were involved or cost incurred in choosing the name of the company.

Finally, with regard to the system of accountability, the sole shareholder of the company is the Secretary of State and a departmental official sits on the company board as a representative of the Secretary of State.

Accountability for the actions and expenditure of NHS PS is via the department, and its Permanent Secretary to Parliament. As such, the company can be held to account via the department through the parliamentary committee system, and parliamentary Questions in both Houses. As a public sector body (100% owned by Secretary of State) it is subject to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

As a limited company, NHS PS is required to file an annual report and accounts in Companies House. The department’s group of accounts will also reflect the company's operations. A copy of the company's articles of association, which gives more detail, has already been placed in the Library.