§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses built for sale by the New Towns Commission or new town development corporations have been unoccupied for six months, 12 months, 18 months or longer, respectively, in each of the new towns.
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§ Mr. Denis Howell:Returns are not obtained of the period for which individual houses have been unoccupied but at 31st March last there were the following numbers of houses built for sale by the Commission for the New Towns and Development Corporations in England which were unoccupied.
Aycliffe Nil Basildon 1 Bracknell 10 Corby 10 Crawley Nil Harlow 104* Hatfield Nil Hemel Hempstead 36 Peterlee 25 Stevenage 6 Welwyn Garden City Nil Redditch Nil Runcorn Nil Skelmersdale 19 Telford Nil Washington 21 Milton Keynes Nil Peterborough Nil *At 16th April prospective purchasers had placed deposits on all but 18 of these houses.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses the New Towns Commission and the new town development corporations have built for sale and letting, respectively, in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:Because development corporations build some houses either for sale or for rent a precise answer cannot be given but the total number of dwellings built by the Commission for the New Towns and development corporations in England and the number sold in each of the last five years were:
Number of Dwellings Built Number of Dwellings Sold* 1965 4,597 779 1966 4,103 919 1967 6,526 630 1968 6,301 455 1969 7,139 504 *Returns of houses sold do not give particulars of the date at which they were built and the figures therefore include houses previously let as well as homes newly constructed. They also include a number acquired by corporations and subsequently resold.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses the New Towns Commission and new town development corporations plan to build for sale and for let- 42W ting, respectively, in each of the new towns for each of the next five years.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:It would be misleading to give forecasts so far in advance, particularly for individual towns where the programme must be related to the availability of employment.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses are to be built for sale in each of the new towns by arrangements between private enterprise and the New Towns Commission or the new town development corporations for each of the next five years.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:For a number of reasons forecasts in this field would be misleading but the total number completed by private enterprise—on land made available by corporations—in the first quarter of this year was 184, and the number under construction at the end of the quarter was 736.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses built for sale by the New Towns Commission or new town development corporations have been let to tenants in each of the new towns.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:I regret that this information is not readily available.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will direct the New Towns Commission and new town development corporations to let houses built for sale which are not sold within six months of completion.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:If the Commission for the New Towns and the New Town Development corporations are to achieve a better balance between rented and owner-occupied housing in their towns, they must be allowed a reasonable period in which to dispose of houses built for sale. The numbers at present remaining unsold are very small.