§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many empty properties were owned by each local authority and development corporation in England and Wales at the latest date for which figures are available; and how many have been empty for more than three months in each case.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 27 July 1982. c. 512–13.]: English local authorities' HIP returns include the numbers of dwellings they own which were unoccupied for any reason at 1 April each year. The numbers empty at 1 April 1981 are shown in the table I have placed in the Library today, which also shows the numbers of empty new town dwellings in England at 31 March 1982.
I regret that information about the number of dwellings which have been empty for more than three months is not available, but the total number empty for more than a year, according to the authorities' returns, was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) on 21 July 1982.—[Vol. 28, c. 395.]
For information about empty properties in Wales, I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.