§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Liverpool.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinAt the invitation of Liverpool city council I visited inner city council housing estates on 7 June.
I was dismayed by what I saw. Housing conditions in some of these estates are dreadful. These estates demonstrate housing management and maintenance failings which have contributed largely to Liverpool's housing problems today.
During my discussions with councillors I emphasised the need for all available resources to be applied to improving housing conditions. Municipal activities should be combined with initiatives involving the private sector, and the resourcefulness of the local community should be harnessed—for instance through housing co-operatives and through community refurbishment schemes.
Clearly there is scope for constructive partnership between central and local government to tackle these problems.
It is essential that the city council should make a valid rate at the earliest opportunity so that, against that background, proposals for improving housing conditions can be developed.