HC Deb 26 March 1980 vol 981 cc1427-8
13. Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons for his refusal to allocate funds to Camden council, in addition to that council's housing investment programme allocation, to pay for the rehabilitation of blocks of flats in Bloomsbury which fell into disrepair when they were owned by his Department.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg)

Camden council's housing investment programme allocation represents its assessed overall needs within the total public expenditure available.

Mr. Dobson

I declare a personal interest. Will the Minister confirm that it will be the continuing policy of his Department, when it sells Property Services Agency property, to leave the responsibility for bringing rundown property up to scratch to those to whom it was sold?

Mr. Finsberg

It was expected that the properties would be demolished. The price that Camden council paid for them reflected their condition. If Camden council buys more houses than it can efficiently manage, more properties will remain rundown and empty, as they do in many other parts of inner London which are controlled by Labour authorities.