§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if, in view of the serious housing problem in Knowsley and Kirkby, he will now allocate more funds to the council;
(2) what steps he is taking to help Knowsley Council deal with its housing problems;
(3) what information he has on the nature and scale of the housing problems faced by Knowsley Council; and what financial help the Government have given compared with that provided to other local authorities.
§ Mr. FreesonI am well informed of Knowsley's housing problem which is not one of quantity but of quality of housing and difficulty of maintenance. I visited the borough last year; and the regional office of the Department maintain close contact with the council's officers. Special financial arrangements have been made in respect of dwellings which have had to be demolished and other housing subsidy questions are under consideration.
An allocation of £3.8 million has already been made for 1978–79 for Knowsley's housing investment programme of which the authority can apply as much as it chooses to the repair and improvement of existing properties. In addition, £300,000 will be available under the building society support scheme.