HC Deb 18 January 1984 vol 52 c216W
Mr. Heddle

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the number of local authority-owned dwellings which have been vacant for over six months and 12 months up to April 1983;

(2) if he will publish a list of the number of homes which (a) remained vacant and (b) were officially classified as hard to let as at 1 October 1983 for each housing authority in England.

Sir George Young

Information about vacant housing and about dwellings which are difficult to let is collected in English local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns: copies are available in the Library.

The estimates for English local authorities' housing relating to 1 April 1983 are as follows:

Number
Vacant, including those closed under slum clearance powers 113,600
of which, those vacant more than a year 22,700
Difficult to let 305,000

In addition, the returns include estimates of housing of all tenures, excluding closures under slum clearance powers, vacant at 1 April.