§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many owners of houses in multiple occupation have been prosecuted for permitting use of substandard accommodation in each of the last 20 years. [141686]
§ Mr. MullinInformation is not collected from local authorities, in either England or Wales, on the number of owners of houses in multiple occupation who have been prosecuted for permitting use of substandard accommodation and this, therefore, is not centrally available.
24W
§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of and how many houses in multiple occupation did not have adequate fire escapes in(a) England in 1980 to 2000 and (b) Wales in 1980 to 1998. [141683]
§ Mr. MullinThis information is not available centrally in England. However, in 1996, it was estimated that 27,500 traditional HMOs (bedsits) and purpose-built HMOs in England were unfit under section 352 of the Housing Act 1985 due to inadequate "means of escape". This was approximately 30 per cent. of the total number of these dwellings. There is no centrally available information for Wales.
§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people lived in houses in multiple occupation in each of the last 20 years. [141685]
§ Mr. MullinThis information is not available in the form requested. Estimates of the number of people living in HMOs in 1991 and 1996 in England are provided in the table. There are no reliable sources of information for intervening years or prior to 1991. Comparable figures for residents living in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation are not available.
Number of people1 19962 1,592,000 19913 2,159,000 1 Figures include people living in converted flats, purpose-built HMO and traditional HMO (bedsits) 2 Figures from the English House Condition Survey 1996 3 Figures from the English House Condition Survey 1991
§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of and how many houses in multiple occupation were judged to be substandard in each of the last 20 years. [141684]
§ Mr. MullinThis information is not available in the form requested. Comparable information on the standard of some houses in multiple occupation in England is available for 1991 and 1996 in the English House Condition Survey. However, this covers only standards relating to use as a dwelling generally rather than standards for multiple occupancy. There are no reliable sources of information for intervening years or prior to 1991. Information on the condition of hostels and bed and breakfast type accommodation is not centrally available.
Substandard under section 604 only 1996 Number 148,000 Percentage 16 1991 Number 182,000 Percentage 14 Note
1. Substandard dwellings are taken as equivalent to unfit under Section 604 of the Housing Act 1985 (as subsequently amended)