§ 8. Mr. Joseph Deanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the housing investment programmes for 1978 for the six largest metropolitan districts, and the metropolitan districts in West Yorkshire; and if he will give any information that is available to him regarding the size of the respective waiting lists of the local authorities.
§ Mr. ArmstrongTables showing authorities' bids and allocations for 1978–79 have already been placed in the Library of the House. Information about local authority waiting lists is not collected centrally. I invite my hon. Friend to seek this information from individual local authorities.
§ Mr. DeanIs my hon. Friend aware that the Conservative-controlled authority in Leeds has cut back its house building programme from 1,750 to 1,250, despite having a waiting list of 20,000, and that the local politicians running that authority are laying at the Government's door the blame for lack of financial resources?
§ Mr. ArmstrongWe are in negotiation with the Leeds authority. My 1379 regional officers are now talking to that authority about specific schemes. We have said that where there is any hold-up, the authority should have other schemes ready to bring forward.
We are also discussing the allocation of resources, because we believe that we have provided for housing for a large and continuing programme. That is certainly our aim, and we want to help Leeds to achieve good housing success.
§ Mr. AlisonIs the Minister aware that Leeds citizens and ratepayers have never had a better deal than under the Tory leadership which has been there since 1975? Does the Minister recognise that the Government themselves have allocated only two-thirds of the housing investment programme grant for which application was made?
§ Mr. ArmstrongIn fact, the allocation was increased this year. We are now asking the Leeds authority for details of any schemes which it says it cannot bring forward. I suggest that the other matters that the hon. Gentleman raised are more appropriate to the hustings.