§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average gross weekly rent for all local authority tenants in England and Wales in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984; and what proportion of average weekly earnings these gross weekly rent payments represent in each of those years.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe average weekly unrebated rents in April each year for all local authority and new town tenants in England and Wales, and the proportion of average (male) weekly earnings these represent, are as follows:
£p Per cent. April 1979 6.40 6.3 1980 7.71 6.2 1981 11.43 8.1 1982 13.52 8.8 1983 14.06 8.4 1984 14.70 n.a. Rent figures are based on information supplied by local authorities to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and the Department of the Environment; returns in respect of 1984 are still being received and the figure quoted is subject to revision. Earnings are those in April of each year for full-time adult males in all occupations within Great Britain. [Source: New Earnings Survey, Department of Employment.] Estimates of average earnings in April 1984 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each London borough and metropolitan district the projected 1983–84 and 1984–85 composite average rents which were calculated by his Department for the purpose of grant-related expenditure assessments, taking account both of deemed rent increases and changes in the composition of housing stock in each authority since the 1980–81 base year figures were computed.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAs indicated in my reply of 16 May, at column 177, to the hon. Gentleman's earlier question on this subject, composite average rents are estimated only for the 1980–81 base year. No calculations are made of average rents in subsequent years for the purpose of grant-related expenditure assessments.
Local Authority Developer Project Description Newcastle upon Tyne city council Bellway PLC Renovation of 134 dwellings to provide 172 two-bedroomed flats. North Tyneside metropolitan borough council Cecil M Yuill Limited Refurbishment of nine blocks of flats North Tyneside metropolitan borough council The Voluntary and Christian Services Housing Association. Rehabilitation of an estate of blocks of flats to provide 42 refurbished and 14 new dwellings. Salford city council Barrett Urban Renewal (Northern) Limited Conversion of 146 dwellings into 96 houses and flats. Walsall metropolitan borough council Abbey National Building Society Acquisition (From the local authority or on the open market) and refurbishment of six houses in housing action areas Knowsley metropolitan borough council Lockwoods Construction (Liverpool) Ltd Conversion of four-story block of 20 maisonettes into 10 two-storey houses.