Housing

HC Deb 16 January 1978 vol 942 cc50-3W

Mr. Cowans

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the latest available national public and private housing returns; and how these compare with figures for the previous five years;

(2) if he will list the latest available housing returns, both public and private,

DWELLINGS STARTED AND COMPLETED: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS 1972 TO NOVEMBER 1977
									Number January to November
				1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
GREAT BRITAIN
Started—
Public sector	…	…	…	122,980	112,820	146,760	173,850	170,910	124,720
Private sector	…	…	…	227,960	215,750	105,930	149,130	154,650	125,560
				350,950	328,570	252,690	322,980	325,560	250,270
Completed—
Public sector	…	…	…	122,830	107,450	128,640	162,270	162,990	147,570
Private sector	…	…	…	196,460	186,630	140,870	150,750	152,180	127,280
				319,290	294,080	269,510	313,030	315,170	274,850
NORTHERN REGION
Started—
Public sector	…	…	…	8,710	6,620	9,150	11,080	10,420	7,830
Private sector	…	…	…	11,070	12,850	5,400	7,300	8,050	6,750
				19,780	19,470	14,550	18,380	18,470	14,580
Completed—
Public sector	…	…	…	8,120	6,650	9,100	9,600	11,480	8,580
Private sector	…	…	…	10,110	10,950	6,860	7,910	8,080	6,630
				18,220	17,600	15,960	17,510	19,560	15,220

Mr. Beith

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing authority areas in the county of Northumberland he regards as having a concentration of housing needs sufficient to justify the special assistance referred to in his Department's recent statement on allocation for housing in the Northern Region.

Mr. Armstrong

Special consideration for the concentration of needs was primarily given to the partnership and programme authorities in the allocation of funds in the Northern Region. No authority in the County of Northumberland has received an allocation for 1978–79 that is smaller in real terms than its allocation for the current year.

Mr. Beith

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the allocation, to Alnwick District Council for new building and improvements for 1978–79 is nearly £1,000,000 short of the council's immediate needs for its programme of house building and improvements.

in the Northern Region; and how these compare with figures for the previous five years.

Mr. Armstrong

The information is as follows:

Mr. Armstrong

Alnwick District Council's allocation for 1978–79 is £1.8 million, compared with an allocation of £1.43 million for 1977–78 at the respective outturn prices for each year. Resources were not available to meet in full the Council's bid for next year, which would have represented an increase of more than 100 per cent. of this year's allocation.

Mr. Beith

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he gave to housing requirements arising out of the Rent (Agriculture) Act when he made his recent decisions on allocations for housing by local authorities for house building.

Mr. Freeson

Under the new system of housing strategies and investment programmes it is for local authorities, when making their annual submissions for housing cash allocations, to include provision for any special needs. Housing demand arising from the operation of the Rent (Agriculture) Act is only one of many elements which may affect housing requirements and all such elements are taken into consideration in deciding the allocation to be made to individual authorities.

Mr. Sainsbury

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will lay an order under the Housing Finance Act 1972 to provide for 100 per cent. of rent allowance subsidies to be borne by central Government in the year 1978–79.

Mr. Armstrong

My right hon. Friend will lay such an order very shortly.