§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report the total amount of central Government grants, under appropriate headings, allocated for housing purposes to the former Hemel Hempstead Borough Council and the Dacorum District Council for the financial years 1970–71 to 1978–79.
§ Mr. ArmstrongCash allocations were introduced in 1975–76 in respect of improvements to council housing. In 1976–77 they were extended to lending for house purchase and improvement and in 1977–78 to all local authority housing capital programmes. For 1978–79,510W following the introduction of local authority housing strategies and investment programmes, cash allocations have been made in three spending blocks. The information requested is as follows:
£ 1975–76— Council house improvements 386,800 1976–77— Council house improvements 350,000 Lending for house purchase and improvement 352,000 1977–78— New housebuilding, including land 4,504,000 Slum clearance 0 Council house improvements 600,000 Municipalisation 60,000 Improvement grants 110,000 Lending for house purchase and improvement 121,000 Lending to housing associations 187,000 1978–79— Block 1—(New house building, land, slum clearance, municipalisation)* 5,166,000 Block 2—(Improvement grants, lending for house purchase and improvement) 335,000 Block 3—(Lending to housing associations) 550,000 * A sum for insulation of local authority housing in 1978–79 as part of the energy conservation measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy on 12th December 1977 has still to be allocated.