HC Deb 11 January 1978 vol 941 cc1664-5
22. Mr. Anthony Grant

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to stop local authorities building over-large council house estates and use the money saved to increase improvement grants for rundown older houses in urban and city areas.

Mr. Freeson

I refer the hon. Member to my written reply to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove and Redditch (Mr. Miller) on 16th December 1977.

Mr. Grant

In view of the quite deplorable decline in the number of improvement grants in the past two or three years, should not top priority be given to improving the existing stock of housing rather than to building vast new council estates? Would it not be sensible for the Minister to issue one of his famous circulars to local authorities instructing them to get their priorities right in that respect?

Mr. Freeson

I think the best answer I can give to the hon. Gentleman is that he should get from the Vote Office or from my Department—I will send it to him if he wishes—a copy of the circular on housing strategies and investment programmes that we issued not very long ago to every local authority. In that circular he will see his question answered more than fully. I shall be glad to discuss the matter further with him if he wishes.

Mr. Skinner

Will my hon. Friend take steps to strengthen the legislation in respect of the allocation of improvement grants? Is he aware that builders are now, in contravention of the Housing Act 1974, taking out leases in order to obtain the £2,900 improvement grant in places such as Chelsea and Kensington, and Bath—both Tory-controlled—and that those two councils are conniving with builders to get round the Act in order that builders can start the winkling jobs they were doing before and which the Act was designed to stop?

Mr. Freeson

As my hon. Friend indicated, in the Housing Act 1974 we took a number of steps to stop the growing abuses that had arisen in the immediately preceding years. If my hon. Friend will let me have details of the allegation in the second part of his supplementary question, I shall inquire into the matter.