HC Deb 13 June 1966 vol 729 cc1036-7
49. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state how many houses have had baths, hot-water systems and inside water closets installed on standard improvement grants in the last 12 months to a convenient date; if he will give the corresponding figures for the previous 12 months; how many of these were in houses let by private landlords; and what steps he proposes to take to accelerate installations.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Robert Mellish)

With permission, I will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT, but those in respect of houses let by private landlords show no significant change. My right hon. Friend is watching the whole situation closely to see where a fresh impetus is most needed.

Mr. Allaun

Is not the number far fewer than 200,000 a year aimed at by successive Governments, and of those improved have not only one in four or five been landlords' houses as against owner-occupied houses? In view of that, will my hon. Friend consider asking local authorities to go ahead with improvement areas using compulsion where necessary?

Mr. Mellish

The whole subject of improvement grants is under review by my right hon. Friend. Grants to landlords amount to less than one-third of all standard grants. We are not satisfied with this situation, but let us take credit for the fact that nearly one million grants have been given. However, we shall take action to try to improve this figure as much as we can.

Sir E. Errington

May I ask the Minister if he will look very carefully indeed into two things, first of all, the 15-year rule, which is being operated very harshly, and secondly, the unwillingness of tenants to have the improvements made?

Mr. Mellish

These are very fair points. The 15-year rule is one of the things we are now considering to see

STANDARD GRANTS—ENGLAND AND WALES
(*) Local authority dwellings (†) Private dwellings
Period No. of dwellings Baths or showers Hot water supplies Water closets No. of dwellings Baths or showers Hot water supplies Water closets
Twelve months ended 30th April 1965 24,239 1,935 17,017 5,326 50,179 38,762 40,775 44,143
Twelve months ended 30th April 1966 17,869 1,595 15,101 2,988 48,936 36,726 40,113 42,336
(*) Numbers in applications approved.
(†) Numbers where works completed. It is not known how many of the dwellings in which these installations were made were owner-occupied or let. Of all standard grants approved to private houses 25 per cent. were for private landlords during the twelve months ended 30th April, 1965 and 28 per cent. during the twelve months ended 30th April. 1966.
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