§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum period of time he considers satisfactory for a resident to wait before having a property designated as unfit for human habitation by a public health officer; if he is satisfied with the delays that are currently being experienced by some residents; and if he has any proposals for speeding up the process.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe rate at which a local authority takes action against unfit dwellings within its area is mainly a matter for the authority to determine, having regard to the overall housing circumstances and the manpower and other resources available. Where an 867W authority is faced with a major programme to deal with unfit houses it will inevitably take some time to complete; it would be quite inappropriate to set any particular time limit for action to be taken in relation to any individual dwelling.