HL Deb 13 July 1972 vol 333 cc464-5WA
LORD AVEBURY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish a table bringing together the estimates of the various subsidies which may become payable under the Housing Finance Bill, together with the corresponding figures of supplementary benefit in respect of rents, for each of the years 1972–73 to 1975–76 inclusive; and whether they will also give a total of the subsidies together with supplementary benefits for each of those years, and an estimate of the amounts that would have been payable if the previous system of subsidies had been retained.

LORD SANDFORD

Following is the information (current prices):

ESTIMATED PAYMENTS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE HOUSING FINANCE BILL
1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76
£m. £m. £m. £m.
Slum clearance subsidy … … … … … 5–10 5–15 10–20 10–25
Residual subsidy … … … … … 110 40 20 5
Operational deficit subsidy … … … … 25 25 20 15
Transition subsidy … … … … … 20 20 15 5
Rising costs subsidy … … … … … 10 20 40 55
Rent rebate subsidy … … … … … 80–100 100–120 105–135 105–135
Rent allowance subsidy … … … … 5–10 30–50 30–50 30–50
Supplementary benefit payments towards rent … 80 80 80 80
Total range … … … … … 340–360 335–355 340–360 325–345
ESTIMATED PAYMENTS IF THE EXISTING SYSTEM HAD CONTINUED IN ENGLAND AND WALES
1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76
£m. £m. £m. £m.
Housing subsidies … … … … … 230 255 280 300
Supplementary benefit payment towards rents … 170 195 220 250
400 450 500 550

Certain estimates are shown as a range of figures as they depend to an exceptional extent upon a number of variable factors, but it must be stressed that these estimates are very tentative.