§ Mr. Litherlandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many and which local authorities 16W have placed greater responsibility on council tenants to carry out their own housing repairs and maintenance since the publication of the housing services advisory unit's report in December 1982;
(2) what information he has as to the nature and extent of repairs that are now being undertaken by tenants in those authorities that have extended tenant responsibility on repairs and maintenance;
(3) whether there is any evidence to show that local authorities that have extended tenant responsibility for repairs and maintenance have redirected resources saved from that transference of responsibility towards planned maintenance and capitalised repair;
(4) if he is satisfied that the type of repair being carried out by tenants in local authorities that have extended tenant responsibility for repairs and maintenance are not ones that the local authorities are required to carry out under the Housing Act 1961;
(5) what information he has as to the effect extended tenant responsibility for repairs and maintenance has had on (a) the overall number of repairs completed, (b) the length of time a tenant would be expected to take for a repair to be done; and (c) the backlog of properties in need of repair;
(6) how much each local authority that has extended tenant responsibility for repairs has spent on repairs and maintenance of its stock in 1982–83; and what it plans to spend in 1983–84.
§ Sir George YoungLandlords have certain repairing obligations under section 32 of the Housing Act 1961. The interpretation of these obligations is not a matter for the Secretary of State but for the courts. The Department does not collect detailed information on a continuing basis from local authorities about their practices on tenants responsibilities for other repairs.