§ 11. Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many empty council houses are not included in his Department's annual relets survey.
§ Mr. FreesonIt does not include dwellings outside the housing revenue account; but these form only a very small proportion of the total council stock, and many of them are occupied.
§ Mr. KnoxWill the hon. Gentleman take action to prevent councils buying privately-rented houses when so much of their own property is lying empty?
§ Mr. FreesonIt seems that some Opposition Members will not accept the 1672 facts even when they are repeated constantly. Despite the wild stories to the contrary, the percentage of local authority-owned property standing empty at any one time is very small indeed. On the basis of the surveys which have been made, it is a much smaller quantity than that in the private sector. We are concerned to see that in terms of purchasing property under the municipalisation programme there shall be a concentration on priority housing, such as property requiring renovation and property standing empty on the market which could be used for homeless families and similar categories. We are examining with the local authorities ways in which, even now, they can tighten up procedures to ensure that properties do not stand empty for any undue length of time.