§ 50. Mr. Thorpeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will issue a circular to housing authorities requesting them to co-operate with bona fide self-help housing groups to allow them to use empty council-owned short-life property for housing purposes along the lines agreed between the London Borough of Lewisham and the Lewisham Family Squatting Association, details of which have been sent to him.
§ Mr. ChannonIn London, where the problem is particularly important, all housing authorities were urged to make more interim use of their empty housing awaiting demolition, in a circular letter dated 4th July, 1969, of which I am sending the right hon. Member a copy. I hope that any local authority with a housing problem will make arrangements to achieve the maximum utilisation of empty houses whilst protecting the position of those on the waiting list.