HC Deb 10 March 1980 vol 980 cc430-1W
Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he expects the cuts in the housing investment programme and the consequent shortage of local authority mortgages will have on the sale of council houses.

Mr. Stanley

None. Mortgages granted by local authorities in connection with the sale of council houses to tenants do not form part of local authorities' capital allocations under the housing investment programmes scheme.

Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has estimated what proportion of the £2,200 million in the housing investment programme has already been committed by local authorities and what proportions are available for new mortgages and renovations.

Mr. Stanley

The Department does not have the information on which to make such an estimate itself. However, local authorities were asked in their 1980-81 HIP returns, submitted in September 1979, to estimate their commitments as at 1 December 1979, at November 1978 prices (that is 1979 survey prices); their replies showed a total of £1,340 million, some of which may not have been contractual. It will be for local authorities themselves to decide what proportion of their uncommitted resources to devote to new mortgages and renovations.

Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the difficulties of local authorities in making housing expenditure plans for the year beginning 5 April, when the housing investment programme is announced only six weeks previously; and whether he proposes to make any changes.

Mr. Stanley

Ministers have received representations from 20 authorities and a further 34 have written at official level to the Department, We propose to make changes to the capital allocations system in 1981–82 on the lines of the consultation paper on capital controls, a copy of which is in the Library.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much each local authority underspent on its housing allocation for 1978–79; and what shortfall is estimated for the current financial year in each case.

Mr. Stanley

The information requested for 1978–79 is not immediately available. I am making arrangements for it to be prepared and I will put it in the Library of the House when it is ready. Early estimates of spending for the current year are included in local authorities' housing investment programme submissions for 1980–81, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

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