§ 79. Mr. Robert Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will provide statistics relating to the percentage of local government house building which has been allocated to elderly people covering the years from 1965 to 1971.
§ Mr. ChannonThe statistics for which the hon. Member asks are not available. However, over the years in question one-bedroom accommodation accounted for between a quarter and a third of the new house building carried out by local authorities and new town corporations. Most of this accommodation is likely to have been for occupation by elderly people.
§ 102. Mr. Robert Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give up-to-date figures of the percentage of municipal house building allocated to elderly people, county borough by county borough, as far as these figures are available.
§ Mr. ChannonWhile the figures for which the hon. Member asks are not available, the number of one-bedroom dwellings in the housing stock of each104W county borough is given in the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants' publication, Housing Statistics Part I. A copy of this document is held by the Library.
§ Mr. Robert Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what local authorities have undertaken a recent survey into the housing problems of the elderly, with specific regard to the lack of basic amenities, and how many elderly people are in need of sheltered housing.
§ Mr. ChannonThis information is not available. All local authorities, however, have statutory obligations both to keep the overall housing conditions and needs of their district under regular consideration and, in selecting tenants—whether elderly or otherwise—for their houses, to give reasonable preference to people living in unsatisfactory housing conditions.