§ 7. Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the level of home ownership in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AtkinsBy the end of May 1992, the total number of owner-occupied properties was 358,500 or 66 per cent. of the total housing stock. More than 52,000 of those owner-occupiers have bought their houses from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive under its voluntary sales scheme while a further 11,800 have entered home-ownership through the co-ownership scheme operated by the Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association.
§ Mr. MarshallMay I congratulate my hon. Friend on that answer which demonstrates that Government policies have enabled many people to enjoy home ownership for whom 15 years ago it was only a dream? Does he agree with me, however, that, important as home ownership is, it is also important to help those in the lowest income groups? Will he therefore welcome the additional finance made available to the Northern Ireland Office for that purpose?
§ Mr. AtkinsI am grateful to my hon. Friend. He is right to point to the increase in home ownership. In 1986, not very long ago, the figure was 59 per cent., so a rise of seven per cent. to 66 per cent. is quite noticeable. My hon. Friend's point about the Northern Ireland tranche of the £750 million made available by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is very important. It is in the process of providing homes for those in desperate need and will, to an extent, help the Housing Executive in its treatment of this particularly intractable problem.