§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of financial allocations for housing in Wales in 1986–87.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonMy right hon. Friend is making available to local authorities housing allocations totalling £141.3 million, an increase of almost 30 per cent. over this year's figure of £109.5 million. The allocatable total may be supplemented by individual authorities' use of the prescribed proportion of receipts which remain unchanged from 1985–86. This is a significant increase in the resources available for housing in Wales. Special allocations will be made to local authorities to help them to renovate the worst of the council housing stock and to reduce the backlog of renovation grant applications. In addition allocations will be made to encourage the repair of whole terraces or groups of houses, and to meet bids in full for expenditure under the Housing Defects Act. Special allocations will also be made under the priority estates programme, whose aim is to bring improved management to some of the most difficult council estates.
Furthermore, net provision for the Housing Corporation has been increased by almost 15 per cent. to £44.7 million thus recognising the vital role that the housing associations play, both in renovating the older stock and in providing new homes.
Copies of individual local authority housing strategy and investment programme bids and letters notifying them of their individual allocations will be placed in the Library.