§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any representations concerning the budget proposals for 1982–83 for the work of registered housing associations issued by the Housing Corporation in September; what changes in these proposals have been represented to him; when he intends to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to decide upon the corporation's 1982–83 programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyI have received a number of representations about the Housing Corporation's consultation document on its development programme for England in 1982–83. Most of those who have written accept that a large part of the expenditure will be on schemes, mostly for rent, already approved or under construction. As for new schemes, the main comment has been that as well as the provision for hostels and low-cost home ownership schemes there is a continuing need for homes to rent. I shall be meeting the chairman of the Housing Corporation next week, but the scale and composition of the corporation's 1982–83 programme cannot be settled until decisions have been taken on housing public expenditure for next year as a whole.