§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total amount of housing accommodation in the ownership or under the control of the various regional hospital boards in England and Wales available for occupation by their employees and their families; and what is the average weekly rental paid.
§ Dr. OwenThere is residential accommodation owned by or under the control of the health authorities for nearly 100,000486W staff. Most of this is in the form of hostels or flats, provided mainly for students and pupil nurses and similar groups of staff. Detailed information on houses suitable for married staff is not available centrally.
Rents reflect levels of housing costs in the locality; they are assessed by comparison with similar local authority property or, where appropriate, with the assistance of the district valuer. Rents are normally reviewed annually; they are affected at the present time in the same way as for other properties by the Government's standstill arrangements. An average weekly rental cannot be quoted.