§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to implement the policy contained in paragraph 27 of Command Paper No. 6845 that it is vital to preserve the firms and businesses which at present exist in the inner areas, with respect to the proposed closure of the Cadbury Schweppes plant at Bordesley in the area designated under the terms of the Inner 251W Urban Areas Bill; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Reginald FreesonThe proposed closure involves the transfer of operations, for reasons which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment explained in the Adjournment debate on 23rd February, to another plant in a special development area. It was fully discussed at the meeting of the Birmingham Partnership Committee on 28th February. As chairman of the committee, I recognised that this was a setback for the partnership, but urged the committee to emphasise the positive rather than the negative by treating the Bordesley Street factory as a sample case
HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT—ENGLAND £ million Exchequer Subsidies Rate Fund Subsidies Housing Revenue Account Outgoings Excluding Rent Rebates Rent Rebates Excluding Rent Rebates Rent Rebates Total Subsidies (Columns (2), (3), (4) and (5)) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 1973–74 1,144 227 124 62 22 435 1977–78 2,555 888 236 160 83 1,367 Increase from 1973–74 to 1977–78 1,411 661 112 98 61 932 The figures for 1973–74 are at outturn price and those for 1977–78 are the latest available estimated and at estimated outturn price.
§ Mr. Ovendenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the ratio of gross rents and rebated rents to housing revenue account outgoings in 1977–78.
§ Mr. ArmstrongOn the latest available information, the estimated ratio of gross rents and rebated rents to housing revenue account outgoings in 1977–78 is 0.56:1 and 0.44:1 respectively.