§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made to carry out, during this autumn, the new sample house condition survey for England and Wales.
§ Mr. AmeryArrangements have now been made for the new sample survey of house condition to be carried out over about six weeks from 20th September. As I explained in reply to my hon. Friend on 5th May, this is intended to provide a more reliable and up-to-date assessment than we have at present of the condition of the national housing stock.
To allow reasonable comparisons to be made of the results of this survey and those of the first survey in 1967, as nearly as possible the same sample of houses will be used and the same surveyors employed. I would like to express appreciation of the willing cooperation that we have had in making these arrangements both from the authorities in whose area the sample houses are situated and from the authorities who once again are lending staff to carry out the survey.
The survey is concerned purely with the structural condition of the houses. A letter will be sent by the Department to each of the householders concerned shortly before the survey is due to start, explaining its purpose and asking for his co-operation.