§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of council houses built by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council since the reorganisation of local government.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe numbers of council houses built between April 1974 and March 1976 by Forest of Dean District Council, Tewkesbury District Council and Stroud District Council are 176, 616 and 191, respectively.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of money spent on house improvements and repairs by (a) Forest of 269W Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council since reorganisation.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe relevant information for 1974–75, as reported by the authorities, is set out below:
Housing Revenue Account Expenditure on Repairs Capital Expenditure on Works on Existing Dwellings and Estates £'000 £'000 Forest of Dean … 261 277 Tewkesbury … 192 36 Stroud … 281 0 The corresponding information for 1975–76 is not yet available.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the number of ratepayers in the areas covered by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council;
(2) what is the value of rate rebates granted in the areas covered by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe latest information, which is for 1974–75, is as follows:
District Council Number of Domestic Ratepayers Total Value of Rebates Granted £ Forest of Dean … 24,860 95,489 Tewkesbury … 25,603 196,213 Stroud … 34,046 210,000 I regret that I have no information on the total number of ratepayers in the local authority areas concerned.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of rent payers in the areas covered by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council.
§ Mr. ArmstrongI regret that the information requested is not available.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of council houses in the areas covered by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council.
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§ Mr. ArmstrongThe numbers of local authority dwellings, at April 1976, in the Forest of Dean, Tewkesbury and Stroud District Councils were 5,456, 4,676 and 8,135, respectively.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of rent contribution to the housing revenue account in (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe local authorities' estimates for 1976–77 include rebated rent income as (a) £1.473 million; (b) £0.937 million and (c) £1.595 million.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the value of rent rebates granted in 1975 in the areas covered by (a) Forest of Dean District Council, (b) Tewkesbury District Council and (c) Stroud District Council.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe estimated value of rent rebates granted in the financial year 1975–76 by each of the three district councils is as follows:
£ Forest of Dean … … 220,000 Tewkesbury … … 230,000 Stroud … … 381,287 Seventy-five per cent. of these amounts are met by central Government modified rent rebate subsidy.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost of modernising the Government building at Bainwood to house the present staff of the Department of Social Services Office situated in Spa Road, Gloucester.
§ Mr. ArmstrongAbout £100,000.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if any feasibility studies of any kind have been undertaken in view of possible sites for a Department of Social Services Office in the Forest of Dean which would deal with all Department of Social Services cases from that area.
§ Mr. ArmstrongAn inspection was carried out in Cinderford, but no suitable properties were available.