§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent of the £750 million made available by the Treasury at the time of the November 1992 autumn statement to buy up empty owner-occupied properties before the end of the financial year 1992–93; how much of the total was spent by local authorities and how much by housing associations; and how much of this money has subsequently been clawed back by the Treasury through reductions in funds made available by central Government for investment in housing.
§ Sir George YoungOn 12 November 1992 the Secretary of State announced a £627 million programme to boost the housing market. Housing associations in England spent £577.14 million to purchase new, empty and repossessed homes to use for families in housing need and £19.86 million by giving cash incentives to associations' tenants to buy homes on the open market. Local authorities in England spent a total of £29.94 million for similar cash incentives for their own tenants.
These funds were made available and fully spent in 1992–93; the resources available for future years are determined annually in the public expenditure survey discussions.
A further £123 million was divided between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for similar housing measures and other capital projects, for which respective Secretaries of States were responsible.