§ 6. Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the survey of its housing stock prepared by the Leeds city council, a copy of which has been sent to him.
§ Sir George YoungI understand that the hon. Member is referring to a later version of the document enclosed with the council's letter to my Department of 2 July. It is desirable that local authorities should make objective assessments of the condition of their housing stock for management purposes, and the results are of value to my Department in deciding housing investment programme allocations.
§ Mr. MeadowcroftI am grateful for that reply. Will the Minister accept that, with the level of capital finance currently available to Leeds city council, it is impossible for it adequately to maintain its own stock or to provide grants to private owners for improvement, with the inevitable and sad result that the council will be forced to return to policies of compulsory purchase and slum clearance on a wide scale, which have destroyed communities in recent years?
§ Sir George YoungI do not share the hon. Gentleman's rather gloomy assessment. I see no advantage in reverting to compulsory purchase orders and the rest of it. We have tried to direct a higher proportion of the regional allocation to Leeds in genuine recognition of the problems which the hon. Gentleman described. The document which he sent to my Department will help us in the next few days in deciding an appropriate allocation to Leeds for 1985–86.