HC Deb 05 March 1981 vol 1000 cc199-200W
Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the lowest and average ratio of second homes to (a) total domestic hereditaments and (b) council houses or flats for (i) the individual parishes and (ii) all the parishes together, in each district council's area which has been granted rural area status for Housing Act 1980 purposes.

Mr. Stanley

According to the figures provided by local authorities in their 1979 housing investment programme submissions, the lowest and average ratios of second homes to (a) the total dwelling stock and (b) the stock of local authority dwellings in the 18 districts which have been wholly or partly designated as rural areas are as follows, expressed, for convenience, as percentages:

(a) (b)
Lowest district 1.99 13.11
Average in the 18 districts 4.62 25.55
Figures for individual parishes are not available.

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

asked the Secretary' of State for the Environment what statistical sources, of how recent a survey, provided the basis for assessing the incidence of second homes for purposes of rural area designation under the Housing Act 1980; and whether he took the ratio of second homes to total housing stock (a) in each parish applied for individually, (b) in the parishes applied for collectively in each actual council's area and (c) the ratio for the whole district council's area.

Mr. Stanley

In deciding which areas were to be designated as rural areas for the purposes of the Housing Act 1980, regard was had, in conjunction with other factors, to the estimates of second homes provided by local authorities on their 1979 housing investment programme submissions. These figures cover whole districts only and were not broken down by individual parishes.