§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proportion of council house rents is spent on repairs:
(2) what extra amount would be spent on council house repairs if local authorities spent one year's rent income on repairs; and what would be the extra cost in interest on revenue accounts of this action.
§ Mr. StanleyFor 1981–82 information supplied to the Department by English local authorities shows total expenditure on repairs to dwellings held in their housing revenue accounts of £976 million—excluding repairs financed by borrowing. This was equal to 34 per cent. of their total gross rent income of £2,892 million. Information for 1982–83 is not yet available.
If £2,892 million were spent on repairs the effects on the housing revenue account by way of interest charges would be dependent on what proportion of that expenditure was capitalised and financed by additional borrowing and what proportion was treated as revenue expenditure, either in the housing revenue account or in the housing repairs account.