Houses (Hansard, 20 November 1973)

§ 14. Mr. William Price
asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will give an estimate of the number of houses used in the past by military personnel but at present empty.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
Between 2,500 and 3,000 in the United Kingdom, excluding those under repair and in the process of disposal.

§ Mr. Price
Does the Minister agree that that is a fairly high figure, and that empty houses are a luxury we cannot afford? I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the decision to enter into negotiations with my local authority to dispose of 66 of those houses in Rugby, but may the remainder be considered as a matter of urgency?

§ Mr. Gilmour
I agree that it is a high figure, but, as the hon. Gentleman knows, there are reasons. We are considering whether we can let the empty houses temporarily to local authorities, but this has always been found impossible. I am examining the other estates in the hon. Gentleman's constituency again, and I shall write to him about them.

§ Dr. David Owen
The figure is strikingly high. When the Services are increasing the number of people they evict from their quarters, is it justifiable in cities such as Plymouth—where there is an acute housing shortage—to continue to evict Service families, some of whom have been retired early from the Services and therefore cannot qualify to go on the council house list, while there are still empty houses left?

§ Mr. Gilmour
As the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, when sailors are stationed in Plymouth it is not much good putting them in houses in Oxfordshire. We very much regret having to evict people, and, as the hon. Gentleman knows from his experience, we do it as little and as late as possible, but we must naturally give priority to people serving in the area.

§ Mr. Holland
How much of the increase in the number of empty houses of late is due to troop movements, to keeping houses available for troops returning from Ulster or other places abroad?

§ Mr. Gilmour
As my hon. Friend rightly surmises, those factors are part of the cause, but we are concerned to try to reduce the number of empty houses.