§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the average percentage of the housing stock of(a) councils, (b) housing associations and (c) private landlords vacant for more than three months at the last recorded date.
§ Mr. Trippier[holding answer 13 April 1989]: The available information is provided by local authorities in their housing investment programme return (HIP 1). It is recorded in the "Housing Needs Appraisal: HIP 1 for 1988, Grossed for England", a copy of which is in the Library.
The return shows the number of local authority dwellings which had been empty for more than six months at 1 April but it does not provide any further breakdown of those empty for six months or less; nor does it show the length of vacancy for dwellings in other sectors.