§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in theOfficial Report showing (a) how many void dwellings there are in the area covered by each district office of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as at the latest available date, (b) how many dwellings in each such area have been void for more than three months and (c) the reasons for such voids or as much of such information as is available to him.
§ Mr. NeedhamThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by the chairman of the Housing Executive that at 1 May 1989 the number of void dwellings, that is dwellings on which the executive is not seeking to collect rent, in each district office and the number void for more than 13 weeks in each such area is as follows:
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District Total number voids Total number voids vacant more than 13 weeks Belfast 1 110 101 Belfast 2 396 333 Belfast 3 299 245 Belfast 4 525 468 Belfast 5 726 639 Belfast 6 264 218 Belfast 7 250 224 Belfast Total 2,2570 2,228 Bangor 52 30 Newtownards 1 76 54 Newtownards 2 24 10 Castlereagh 1 58 25 Castlereagh 2 12 5 Lisburn 1 94 47 Lisburn 2 30 21 Lisburn 3 8 4 Downpatrick 178 116 South East Total 532 312 Banbridge 69 50 Newry 1 136 83 Newry 2 49 24 Kilkeel 14 11 Armagh 87 65
District Total number voids Total number voids vacant more than 13 weeks Brownlow 346 285 Lurgan 75 32 Portadown 89 70 South Total 865 620 Ballymena 148 93 Antrim 553 473 Newtownabbey 1 262 172 Newtownabbey 2 89 66 Carrick 82 34 Larne 156 111 Ballycastle 5 1 Ballymoney 31 22 North East Total 1,326 972 Derry 1 232 205 Derry 2 167 146 Derry 3 22 12 Limavady 33 14 Coleraine 244 201 Magherafelt 14 5 Strabane 38 31 North West Total 750 614 Omagh 39 21 Cookstown 28 13 Dungannon 106 62 Fermanagh 89 41 West Total 262 137 Northern Ireland Total 6,305 4,883 Of the total of 6,305 void properties (3.6 per cent. of total stock):
837 are temporarily vacant awaiting allocation or have no tenant available;1,207 are bricked up due to/or to avoid vandalism;452 are awaiting improvements which will be completed within 12 months;520 are bricked up and are awaiting improvements which will not be carried out within 12 months;487 are bricked up for sale/or homesteading;1,776 are awaiting demolition in redevelopment areas; and1,026 are void for a variety of reasons such as decanting or security reasons.