§ Mr. Ripponasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what encouragement is being given to the Housing Corporation to provide student housing accommodation for Newcastle University; what progress is being made; and whether he is supporting similar projects in any other part of the country.
§ Mr. CroslandAlthough the Housing Corporation is aware of plans to convert certain property owned by Newcastle University into accommodation for single young people, including students, no firm proposal has been submitted to it. It would have to consider any such proposal against the claims of other housing schemes put forward by registered housing associations. Similar schemes are being considered in other places where there is a serious shortage of housing for single young people.
§ Mr. Ripponasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he has laid down to guide the Housing Corporation in exercising its function under the Housing Act 1974 in order to provide residential accommodation for students; and how much of such accommodation he expects to see provided in the current year.
§ Mr. CroslandOn 7th May 1975, in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mr. Lane), the Minister for Housing and Construction made it clear that, although primary responsibility for student accommodation as such rests with the Department of Education and Science, housing association schemes for single young people, including students, will be considered for grant in places where the shortage of student accommodation aggravates the general housing shortage. No estimate is available of the likely provision of such places in the current year—[Vol. 891, c. 448–9.]