Mr. A. Cecil Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Housing Executive will consider alternative heating apparatus based on the open fire principle instead of the present glass-fronted apparatus, in view of difficulties caused to senior citizens.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chairman that in most urban areas where there are clean air zones the Housing Executive has limited flexibility on the use of open fires. Open fires which can be installed in clean air zones burn a premium smokeless fuel which is more expensive for the consumer. In rural areas the Housing Executive has more flexibility in considering tenants' wishes in relation to open fires where new build and improvement schemes are being carried out.
314WI understand that few complaints about difficulties with glass-fronted appliances are received and that where this happens immediate arrangements are made for the coal advisory service to give comprehensive advice.
§ Rev. William McCreaasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government propose to freeze rents in Northern Ireland Housing Executive property.
§ Mr. Chris PattenNo. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 13 December 1983 that rents in Northern Ireland will increase by an average of 5 per cent. in 1984–85.
§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland Housing Executive houses in East Antrim now have full central heating installed.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chairman that 2,857 dwellings in the area covered by the executive's Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey district offices have full central heating.
§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many retirement pensioner dwellings have had central heating installed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many retirement pensioner dwellings still have to have central heating installed.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chairman that information is not readily available in the form requested. Retirement pensioners are housed in dwellings suitable to their needs but which may not have been specifically built for the purpose; the installation of central heating is included in a variety of improvement schemes and clean air conversion schemes and is not recorded as a separate entity.
A separate heating programme in relation to dwellings specifically built as retirement pensioner accommodation has been identified for the financial year 1984–85; out of a total of 7,892 such dwellings, 3,618 have full central heating and 818 have partial central heating.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the expenditure of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive required for administrative purposes in the borough of Craigavon.
Mr. A. Cecil Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will give the breakdown of the total number of dwellings built by the Northern Ireland 315W Housing Executive in the constituencies of Belfast, North and Belfast, West during the past five years by estate and/ or redevelopment area number;
(2) if he will give the breakdown of the total number of houses rehabilitated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the constituencies of Belfast, North and Belfast, West during the past five years by estate or other reference number.
§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply 27 February 1984, c. 82]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Gentleman.
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Belfast, north constituency 1. Woodvale and Shankill Housing Association 41 57 81 112 110 2. Grove Housing Association Ltd. 29 43 63 85 133 3. Newington Housing Association Ltd. 36 48 57 81 102 4. Tennent Street District Housing Associations Ltd. — 6 12 21 86 5. Fold 37 37 37 62 90 6. James Butcher Housing Association Ltd. — 54 54 54 54 7. Ulidia Housing Association Ltd. — — 11 14 18 8. Belfast Improved Houses Ltd. 115 128 122 134 153 9. Presbyterian Housing Association Ltd. 26 38 38 38 38 Total 284 411 475 601 784 Belfast, west constituency 1. Clonard Housing Association Ltd. 19 19 22 30 36 2. Ulidia Housing Association Ltd. — — — 5 5 3. James Butcher Housing Association Ltd. — — — 22 22 4. Belfast Improved Houses Ltd. — — — — 4 Total 19 19 22 57 67