HC Deb 21 December 1984 vol 70 cc402-3W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown by region of the percentage of the housing stock which is (a) owner-occupied, (b) privately-rented and (c) rented from a local authority or new town and compare these figures with those of 10 years previously.

Sir George Young

A comparison of this kind was published in table 3.3 of "Regional Trends 1984" for the years 1972 and 1982. 1983 estimates of the tenure of stock in each region were published in table 9.4 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1973–1983". Copies of these publications are in the Library.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the percentage of the total housing stock in the United Kingdom, in England, and in the north west which is (a) needing repairs but not unfit for habitation, (b) unfit for habitation but not in serious disrepair and (c) unfit for habitation and in serious disrepair; and how these figures compare with those of five years previously.

Sir George Young

Estimates based on local authority housing investment programme returns for 1984 and the earliest year (1980) for which comparable information was collected are as follows:

England North West
1980 1984 1980 1984*
per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
Unfit dwellings 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.2
Dwellings not unfit but in need of renovation† 10.7 12.4 13.5 15.1
* Including Cumbria.
† Defined as needing more than £2,000 expenditure (£3,000 in Greater London) for 1980 and more than £3,000 (£4,200 in Greater London) for 1984.

Information on the relationship between repair costs and unfitness is contained in the part I of the report of the English House Conditions Survey 1981. A copy is in the Library. Similar information for the United Kingdom is not available.