§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of new houses (a) started and (b) completed by housing associations and societies during 1973; and what are the equivalent figures for the longest period of 1974 for which the information is available.
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§ Mr. KaufmanDuring 1973, 11,100 dwellings were started for housing associations, including housing societies, in Great Britain and 8,900 were completed. In the first nine months of 1974 the corresponding figures were 8,300 and 6,600.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of dwellings improved by housing associations and societies during 1973; and what are the equivalent figures for the longest period of 1974 for which information is available.
§ Mr. KaufmanRenovation grants were approved for 5,051 dwellings owned by housing associations, including housing societies, in England and Wales during 1973 and for 4,443 in the first 10 months of 1974.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sources of statistical information are available to him about the number of houses constructed by self-build groups and the loans available to them from public funds; and what steps he is taking to improve them, so as to be able to monitor progress in this regard more satisfactorily in the light of the Housing Act 1974.
§ Mr. KaufmanNo entirely satisfactory sources of information exist. The Annual Report of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies gives the numbers of self-build societies registered, and those removed from the register on completion or abandonment of their schemes, together with other information including the number of members and total loans outstanding, whether public or private. This information is compiled from audited financial returns made by the societies. Societies applying for approval under Section 120 of the Housing Act 1974 will be asked how many dwellings they intend to construct, and local authorities and the Housing Corporation will be asked to notify the Department of the amounts of any loans they make to self-build societies.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how 410W many new dwellings were completed, in each of the years since the passing of the Housing Act 1964, by (a) cost-rent and (b) co-ownership housing societies; and what was the total sum advanced in that period to each of those two groups by (a) the Housing Corporation and (b) building societies, respectively.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe information is not available in exactly the form requested. With the exception of less than 1,500 dwellings the cost-rent schemes which were financed under the Housing Act 1964 by the Housing Corporation and building societies changed over subsequently to co-ownership arrangements, and separate figures cannot be readily extracted. Combined figures are as follows:
Calendar year Dwellings completed Loans by Housing Corporation £000 Loans by Building Societies £000 1964 Nil — — 1965 Nil 2,570* — 1966 369 6,400* 1,040 1967 1,467 11,700* 3,973 1968 2,871 12,195* 8,435 1969 5,970 13,790* 11,767 1970 5,497 8,780 12,764 1971 5,320 9,620 12,910 1972 3,562 15,585 10,084 1973 3,550 31,365 11,768 1974 3,411† 24,460 (N/A) (Great Britain figures) * The loans by the Housing Corporation for these years relate to financial years. The figures for 1970 and subsequent years are for calendar years. † Includes 117 dwellings, formerly under co-ownership arrangements, transferred to fair-rent basis. (The figures given in the table do not include 5,770 cost rent dwellings and 259 co-ownership dwellings built with the assistance of Exchequer loans under the provisions of Section 7 of the Housing Act 1961 and the equivalent Scottish legislation).
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum which was approved for loan sanctions in 1973 for local authorities to advance money to housing associations and societies for (a) improving existing dwellings and (b) building new dwellings; and what are the equivalent figures for the longest period of 1974 for which the information is available.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe following table shows the loans made for improvements and new building during 1973 and the 411W first three quarters of 1974, together with details of loans approved for the last
LOANS MADE Quarters First £000s Second £000s Third £000s Fourth £000s 1973— New Building … … 5,623 12,157 6,340 7,336 Improvements … … 2,253 2,691 2,551 3,013 1974— New Building … … 6,493 11,058 11,282 — Improvements … … 2,356 3,979 3,697 — APPROVALS GIVEN Quarters First £000s Second £000s Third £000s Fourth £000s 1973— New Building … … — — — 14,687 Improvements … … — — — 3,320 1974— New Building … … 18,454 6,336 16,070 — Improvements … … 2,288 4,495 16,193 — Notes: (i) Records of loan approvals were not kept before October 1973. (ii) Figures for the final quarter of 1974 are not yet available. (iii) The figure of approvals given in the third quarter of 1974 includes a number of block loan approvals.