§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the programme of work of his 526W housing development directorate since 12th February 1976; what publications have been produced by it since then; and which of them (a) were of direct relevance to private house building and (b) have been discussed with the House Builders Federation.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe housing development directorate has continued to work within the various fields and for the various purposes outlined in replies given to the hon. Member in June 1974, March 1975 and January 1976. Recent work includes, for example,
for energy conservation, a wide range of tasks relating to both new and existing dwellings has been undertaken, in particular the better insulated house programme and an exploratory project aimed to secure better comfort conditions for elderly people in poor housing; and technical advice for the recently introduced programme for roof insulation in both public and private sectors; in the meld of housing management, the directorate has studied"difficult to let"local authority estates in order to explore ways of improving living and environmental conditions.The directorate has also produced advice on ways in which local authorities can be involved in the provision of new housing for owner-occupiers and is carrying out a survey to discover the demand for, and the obstacles to, the provision of new housing for sale in inner urban areas.
Members of the directorate are observers on the executive and standards committees of the National Housebuilding Council and consult informally with the House Builders Federation on matters of common interest.