§ Mr. Hefferasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial aid has been granted to the city of Liverpool for housing purposes of all kinds in the forthcoming year; and what other aid for housing of all kinds he has proposed for bodies other than local authorities in the Merseyside area.
§ Mr. FreesonUnder the new system of housing strategies and investment programmes, cash allocations totalling £34.73 million have been made to the city of Liverpool for 1978–79 in three spending blocks covering its housing capital investment. Under the urban programme, Liverpool had been allocated £4.5 million for the period 1977–78 to 1978–79 for various housing purposes in respect of properties in housing action areas, proposed general improvement areas and other appropriate inner area properties; it is expected that the bulk of this money will be spent in the financial year 1978–79.
I understand that the Housing Corporation expects to make some £26 million available to housing associations for expenditure on projects in the Merseyside area in 1978–79, of which about £10 million will be spent in Liverpool. Thus, the total public expenditure on housing investment in Liverpool in 1978–79 is expected to be approximately £49¼ million.