§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will estimate the number of local authority houses in England and Wales lying vacant; and what proportion of the total housing stock this represents.
§ Mr. StanleyThe housing investment programme returns supplied by local authorities in England indicated that there were about 100,000 local authority properties vacant for all reasons in April 1979, of which 23,000 had been vacant for a year or more. These 100,000 dwellings represented just over 2 per cent. of the total local authority stock in England. Information about the position in Wales should be sought from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.