§ 85. Mr. Wiggasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs to what extent the conditions of Circular No. 64/52, relating to the sale of pre-war houses on which Exchequer subsidy is payable will continue to apply after the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. H. BrookeI am considering this matter and intend to give guidance on it to local authorities in the near future.
§ 86. Mr. Wiggasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the sum which the Stourbridge Council will raise by selling 2,331 of its pre-war dwellings, disposed of at the minimum price authorised by his Department's Circular 64/52; what amount of subsidy will be payable from August, 1959, until the period of subsidy expires, which the council will lose upon the sale of its prewar houses; by how much, in average weekly terms, the rents of the 2,204 postwar dwellings of the council will rise, following that sale; and what is the capital cost still outstanding on the 2,331 pre-war dwellings.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe answer to the second part of the Question, if all the pre-war houses were sold, is approximately £335,000 after making some allowance for variations which occur in the amount of subsidy paid for houses provided under the 1919 Housing Act. The answer to the fourth part is £783,322 at 31st March, 1959.
105WLocal authorities are not required to tell me the rents they are charging for the houses they own and I cannot therefore answer either the first part of the Question or the third part, but I understand that the Town Clerk of Stourbridge has supplied the hon. Member with these figures.