Madam, – Eoin O’Cofaigh (September 10th) in recommending the model provided by the Crown Estate, overlooks another key feature of the UK asset information inventory, which is the national asset register. This is managed by the Treasury and provides information on all property and fixed assets owned by central government and its agencies. Local authorities are excluded. The register extends to Northern Ireland and provides a helpful degree of transparency on what is owned and controlled by the taxpayer.
Some years ago our Department of Finance moved to establish a similar register but for reasons that were never made clear this effort was subsequently abandoned. Knowledge of the State asset base should not be confined to the delinquent category. – Yours, etc,