Empty Properties (Hansard, 28 October 1987)

§ Mr. Thurnham
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what current estimates he has for the numbers of publicly-owned empty properties.

§ Mrs. Roe
The latest estimates derived from local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns for 1987 are as follows:

Vacant dwellings at 1 April 1987—England

Thousands

Owned by:

Local housing authorities¹ 112

Other public sector bodies² 15

Total publicly-owned 127

¹ Includes overspill estates.

² Includes housing owned by new towns, county councils (for example, police houses). Government departments and nationalised industries and other public bodies. Many of these dwellings are vacant because of operational requirements, notably those owned by the Ministry of Defence, and others have been acquired for demolition, for example, by the Department of Transport. The Government are encouraging the sale of housing which is not required and many of those that are vacant are in the process of disposal.

§ Mr. Amess
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been empty for six months or more during the last five years.

§ Mrs. Roe
This information, which local authorities were asked to provide for the first time in their 1987 housing investment programme returns, is not yet available.

Vacant dwellings at 1 April 1987—England
	Thousands
Owned by:
Local housing authorities¹	112
Other public sector bodies²	15
Total publicly-owned	127
¹ Includes overspill estates.
² Includes housing owned by new towns, county councils (for example, police houses). Government departments and nationalised industries and other public bodies. Many of these dwellings are vacant because of operational requirements, notably those owned by the Ministry of Defence, and others have been acquired for demolition, for example, by the Department of Transport. The Government are encouraging the sale of housing which is not required and many of those that are vacant are in the process of disposal.