§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will need send a circular to local authorities asking them to concentrate the provision of housing for elderly people in areas where provision of such housing would free substantial amounts of under-occupied municipal housing.
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§ Mr. Freeson:Last November my right hon. Friend sent local authorities the report of the Housing Management Subcommittee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of Professor Cullingwarth, commending this report to their attention. Most under-occupation occurs in privately rented and owner-occupied, not municipal property, and this report suggests that the real problem is one not so much of under-occupation but of providing a good balance of house types in each locality and assisting the movement of those who are occupying dwellings of a size which they themselves consider to be too large. About 25 per cent. of local authority housebuilding is now suitable for elderly people; 331,000 such dwellings have been built in the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will take steps to encourage the selective clearance of fit houses to enable elderly peoples' housing to be built, in areas where, by reducing under-occupation, this would produce a net gain in housing accommodation.
§ Mr. Freeson:This object can be better attained by converting suitable three-bedroom houses into two one-bedroom flats. The local authorities already carrying out this policy include Birmingham City Council.