§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the estimated total annual public expenditure on housing in the latest year for which figures are available; and what percentage of this figure is represented by expenditure which involves a test of financial means or subsidy.
§ Mr. MacCollIt is estimated that in 1967 total public expenditure on housing in the United Kingdom was £1,125 million. Of this £196 million was paid in subsidy and £21 million was in capital grants to the private sector. Exchequer housing subsidies are paid to public authorities without any test of the tenant's means. Most authorities however use part of these subsidies for rent rebates and some authorities make rate fund contributions towards the cost of rent rebates.
The figures of subsidy which I have given do not include any allowance for option mortgage subsidy (which had not then started) or financial assistance by way of tax relief on interest payments (which is not normally classified as public expenditure).