§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how 80W many people were employed by housing associations for each of the last 10 years; and how many houses were managed for each of those years.
§ Mr. StanleyThe estimated size of the housing stock for the last 10 years is estimated at:
December 1969 135,000 December 1970 147,000 December 1971 162,000 December 1972 174,000 December 1973 187,000 December 1974 200,000 December 1975 220,000 December 1976 245,000 December 1977 290,000 December 1978 330,000 The numbers of staff employed by housing associations has not been recorded centrally until fairly recently. Staff numbers from March 1979 for registered housing associations are now being recorded by the Housing Corporation by computer and it is expected that this information will be available by mid-1980.
§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts have been paid in deficit payments to housing associations for each of the past five years; and in respect of how many units.
§ Mr. StanleyTotal payments of deficit grant made to registered housing associations under sections 31 to 33 of the Housing Act 1974 have been as follows:
£ million 1975–6 2.2 1976–7 8 1977–8 10.8 1978–9 17.4 1979–80 12.1 (to 31.10.79) Information giving the number of units provided by housing associations in respect of which grant was paid in each of these years could be reassembled only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost to public funds of each dwelling unit built by housing associations by regions over each of the past five years.
§ Mr. StanleyThe following table is based on schemes funded by the Housing Corporation which were given tender 81W approval during the 1978–79 financial year, and gives both total approved unit costs—that is, including land, property purchase, construction, legal and design fees, and so on—and approved building costs:
AVERAGE UNIT COSTS AT TENDER STAGE Estimated total cost Estimated building cost £ £ New build England 14,000 11,400 London 20,300 15,700 Rehabilitation England 11,600 7,700 London 15,700 9,500 Information in respect of the four preceding years in the form requested could only be produced at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has any proposals to absorb housing associations into the appropriate local authority housing departments; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he has any proposals to absorb all the housing associations into the Housing Corporation centrally; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyI have no such proposals.