§ 19. Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to increase owner occupation in partnership areas and other inner city stress areas.
§ Mr. HeseltineAll the measures we have taken to promote low-cost home ownership are relevant in inner city stress areas. Additionally, as announced on 9 December—[Vol. 14, c. 865]—a special allocation of £5 million will be made available for low-cost home ownership schemes in 1982–83. We have invited authorities to submit schemes which involve a high ratio of private to public sector finance.
§ Mr. AtkinsI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that very detailed answer. What is happening to the pepper potting scheme for building homes on small sites in urban areas?
§ Mr. GrahamIt is being assaulted.
§ Mr. HeseltineI am grateful to my hon. Friend. A number of volume builders in local authorities have been working together to explore how these small, vacant urban sites can be developed economically to provide low-cost housing. The first project in Bolton has been completed successfully and several others are planned or are under way across the country.
§ Mr. Stan ThorneWhat will the Secretary of State do about the problem, in Preston and many other areas, of small children still living on the fourteenth floor of multi-storey housing blocks that cannot be demolished because of lack of finance for housing?
§ Mr. HeseltinePerhaps the hon. Gentleman did not listen to what was said by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction. Local authorities have some £400 million of underspent housing capital allocations available to them this current year, which they could have spent in the manner suggested by the hon. Gentleman.