§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of housing subsidies will be for central and local authority expenditure, respectively, on rent allowances for private tenants, rent rebates for council tenants, for rate fund contributions to local authority housing revenue accounts, and for the provision of housing by local authorities, new town authorities and housing associations, respectively, for 1972–73 and as estimated for the next five years ; and what were the equivalent figures and the total housing subsidy for each year since 1960.
§ Mr. ChannonThe percentages of expenditure in respect of rent rebates and allowances and the provision of housing which are met by central Government housing subsidies for the years from 1972–73 to 1981–82 are set out in Part I of the Housing Finance Act 1972. The rate fund makes up the difference. The percentages are similar for new towns, but these do not grant rent allowances, which are dealt with by the local authority for the area. The subsidies for new building by housing associations are set out in Part VII of the Housing Finance Act 1972.
The total amounts of housing subsidy paid by central Government for new building by local authorities, new towns and housing associations in England and 343W Wales for the years 1960–61 to 1971–72 were as follows:—
England and Wales Nearest £M 1960–61 61 1961–62 64 1962–63 66 1963–64 68 1964–65 73 England Only Nearest £M 1965–66 75 1966–67 79 1967–68 89 1968–69 101 1969–70 119 1970–71 149 1971–72 175 These subsidies were paid on different bases from time to time, and cannot readily be compared with the subsidies payable under the Housing Finance Act 1972.
The total amounts of Exchequer subsidy paid under the Housing Finance Act 1972 to local authorities, new towns and housing associations in England for the year 1972–73 amounted to £267 million.
Forecasts of housing subsidies for Great Britain are given in Cmnd. 5519, "Public Expenditure to 1977–78", pages 68–69. The figures for the central Government element in expenditure by English local authorities, new towns and housing associations are:
Nearest £M 1973 Survey Prices 1973–74 387 1974–75 380 1975–76 372 1976–77 367 1977–78 357