HC Deb 11 May 1999 vol 331 cc97-8
1. Mr. Phil Sawford (Kettering)

If he will list the moneys held by local authorities from the sale of council houses. [82779]

The Minister for Local Government and Housing (Ms Hilary Armstrong)

My Department collects figures for housing receipts, primarily from the sale of council houses, annually; but, it is not possible to distinguish separately amounts held by an authority at a given date in terms of accumulated housing and other receipts. I shall place in the Library of the House the relevant figures for each local authority for the last financial year.

Mr. Sawford

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer and welcome the Government initiative to release some of those capital receipts. How is the money that has been released being used, and what impact has that had on existing housing stock throughout the country?

Ms Armstrong

Hon. Members will remember that, in the comprehensive spending review, the Government announced that, during the lifetime of this Parliament, an extra £4.7 billion would be provided through the capital receipts initiative to improve council houses. Nearly £1.4 billion has already been allocated and used to carry out practical and important work, such as improving bathrooms and heating systems and supplying new windows. In that way, we can ensure that all people, no matter what sort of house they live in, have a decent house that they can make into a home.

Mr. James Gray (North Wiltshire)

The Minister carefully speaks about improving council houses and so on, but she should remember that 250,000 new social housing units were built under the previous Conservative Government, whereas 23,000 have been built in the first year of the Labour Government; I understand that 130,000 are planned during the lifetime of this Parliament. Does she agree that that is a disgraceful record on providing new social housing? If capital receipts are to be used, cannot they be used to build new houses?

Ms Armstrong

The programme for new build of social housing continues where it is needed, but the Conservative Government left a shameful record of deterioration of perfectly good houses because they did not like the people who lived in those houses. That was a disgrace and we are going to put it right.

Mr. Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside)

Does my right hon. Friend know how many jobs are created when moneys of the order that she describes are released? Does she agree that a warm, draught-proof and dry house that has been modernised is a priority for every one of our citizens? My councillors are glad of the moneys that have been released, but they urge me to ask the Government for a little more such money.

Ms Armstrong

We are doing what we can to increase and improve the housing programme. In addition to the capital receipts initiative, we have recently initiated new pathfinder programmes for private finance in council housing. I know that several hon. Members are grateful for those initiatives, which have resulted in more people being employed in the building industry. Crucially, more of those people are being trained, so we shall once again have a building industry that is able to employ the unemployed and increase the skills of many people who live in council houses.