§ 106. Mr. O'Halloranasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress is being made in the London Borough of Islington towards modernising older council houses, including Greater London Council and Islington Borough Council houses.
§ Mr. FreesonI understand that the Islington Council is nearing the end of a programme of providing all the basic amenities in its older houses. Only some three of four blocks are left without hand basins, and these are now being dealt with. From 1965 to 1969, inclusive, the 85W council improved or converted 715 properties.
A rehabilitation group in the architect's department is to look at the whole problem of the older houses in the borough and, in conjunction with the housing manager, to review the position of its own holdings.
The Greater London Council has modernised 163 dwellings and work is in progress on 155. Tenders, estimates and design work have yet to be completed for 349 dwellings for which there are no programme dates yet available. Eventually 667 Greater London Council dwellings in Islington will be modernised according to present plans.
The Department has not yet been told by the Greater London Council how many more of its dwellings in Islington are in need of improvement and modernisation.