§ 96. Mr. Charles R. Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation prohibiting the sale of houses in areas compulsorily acquired by local authorities for slum-clearance purposes.
§ Mr. AmeryI see no need for this. Any houses compulsorily acquired by a local authority for slum clearance would be unfit for human habitation and would be in an area where demolition was the most satisfactory means of dealing with the conditions. There is no question of local authorities selling such houses.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) the current average cost per unit of slums purchased and cleared by the Greater London Council and London boroughs;
343W(2) the current average cost per unit of slums purchased and cleared by local authorities in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. AmeryI have information only about the average cost in England and Wales of purchasing unfit houses for clearance. On the basis of a 1966 survey this is estimated for England and Wales as a whole as £199 per house. The corresponding figure for the Greater London area is £858.