HC Deb 27 November 1979 vol 974 cc611-4W
Mr. Stallard

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to simplify the procedures avail- able to local authorities towards houses in multiple occupation which, in their opinion, are in poor management, by enabling them to apply the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations without the prior making of a management order; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

I have no such intention at present.

Mr. Stallard

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list, for each of the past five years, the number of houses in multiple occupation inspected in their areas by each of the following local authorities: the 32 London boroughs and district councils in each of the following metropolitan counties: West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear;

(2) if he will list the number of common lodging houses registered under part IX of the Public Health Act 1936, together with their addresses, in each of the following local authorities: the 32 London boroughs and district councils in each of the following metropolitan counties: West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear;

(3) if he will list (a) the number of control orders made under the Housing Act 1964 on houses in multiple occupation for each year since 1965 and (b) the number of compulsory purchase orders made, following a control order, on houses in multiple occupation under the Housing Act 1969 for each year since 1970, in each of the following local authorities: the 32 London boroughs and district councils in each of the following metropolitan counties: West Midlands. Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The Department do not keep the figures requested and they could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Joseph Dean

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last issued guidance to local authorities on the registration of common lodging houses in their areas under part IX of the Public Health Act 1936; and what advice he gives to authorities on a day-to-day basis concerning the application of this Act as compared with authorities' powers towards houses in multiple occupation under the Housing Acts 1957–69.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Local authorities are under a duty to register common lodging houses. Guidance on registration as such would be inappropriate, but there are model byelaws for the regulation of such houses. However, the Department's recent advice to local authorities which inquire about making byelaws is that the legislation on houses in multiple occupation set out in the Housing Acts of 1957, 1961, 1964 and 1969 provides a more satisfactory framework.

Mr. Joseph Dean

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to issue new standards relating to houses in multiple occupation under section 13 of the Housing Act 1961 to take account of the standards applicable to multiple occupied lodging houses and hostels following the recent court decisions in the cases of Simmons v. Pizzey (1977) and Silbers v. the London borough of Southwark (1977).

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

I have no plans to do so.

Mr. Joseph Dean

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities in England which have confirmed registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation in their areas, under the following heads (a) informatory schemes under section 22 of the Housing Act 1961, (b) regulatory schemes under section 64 of the Housing Act 1969 and (c) combined schemes under the same Act; and what proportion of local authorities operating all three schemes this represents.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) Informatory schemes under section 22 of the Housing Act 1962 have been confirmed in respect of the following authorities—names as at time of confirmation: Middlesbrough, Croydon, Stretford, Gloucester, Liverpool, Leeds, Dorking and Horley, Crawley.
  2. (b) The only authority with a regulatory scheme under section 64 of the Housing Act 1969 is Exeter.
  3. (c) Combined schemes under section 64 of the Housing Act 1969 have been confirmed in respect of the following authorities—names as at time of confirmation:
    4. 614
    • London: Redbridge, Lewisham, Islington, Brent, Southwark, Enfield, Camden, Newham, Greenwich, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth.
    • Elsewhere: Newcastle under Lyme, Lancaster, Wycombe, South Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Manchester, Norwich, West Bromwich, Leicester, Walsall, Eccles, Oldham, Sheffield, New Windsor.

These schemes relate to 38 housing authorities out of a total of 364.