§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make Housing Corporation finance more flexible by permitting transfer of funds between England, Scotland and Wales.
§ Mr. RidleyI have been asked to reply. No. Expenditure allocations are made to the Housing Corporation for use in England, Scotland and Wales by the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales respectively from within the public expenditure programmes for which they are responsible. There is machinery for the transfer of resources, with the agreement of the Treasury, between public expenditure programmes. It would be for the Secretaries of State concerned to propose such a transfer if they felt it necessary.