§ 47. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to help local authorities to build more houses for families on their waiting lists.
§ Mr. StanleyMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 15 December 1980 that £2.201 million—at 1981–82 outturn prices—has been made available for gross capital spending on housing by English local authorities in 1981–82. It is, however, for each authority to decide what proportion of its single block capital allocation to devote to new house building, and what proportion of available housing and non-housing capital receipts it should use for this purpose.
§ 56. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his current estimate of the number of houses in the public and private sectors likely to be completed in 1981; and how those figures compare with those for the previous five years.
§ Mr. StanleyThe number of completions in 1981 will depend on the rate of progress of work on dwellings under construction at the end of 1980 and some started early this year. The number of completions in the public and private sector in England and Wales over the last five years are as follows:
Public Sector Private Sector 1976 140,200 138,500 1977 147,300 128,700 1978 119,400 134,600 1979 92,800 119,700 1980 96,600 113,000
§ 59. Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest announced figures for housing starts by local authorities in London; what estimates exist for 1981–82; and how these compare with each year of the last decade.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergFigures of housing starts in London are given in the series,Local Housing Statistics, England and Wales, copies of which are in the Library. The number of starts in 1981–82 will depend on the extent to which local authorities choose to apply their single block capital allocations to new house building.
§ 54. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has now received from local authorities on the impact of Government policies on local authority house building programmes; if he will list the local authorities which have made such representations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of representations he has now received against the cuts in the building programme.
§ Mr. StanleyMany representations have been received, but the precise information requested could be 145W assembled only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve a search through the Department's correspondence with right hon. and hon. Members, local authorities, and the public.