HC Deb 18 December 1985 vol 89 cc218-9W
Mr. Gregory

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of dwellings in local authority ownership that were vacant for (a) over three months, (b) over six months, (c) over nine months and (d) over 12 months for the most recent date available in respect of (i) England, (ii) York, (iii) Leeds, (iv) Darlington, (v) Middlesbrough, (vi) Durham, (vii) Sheffield and (viii) Hull.

Sir George Young

Information about vacant dwellings owned by local authorities and about those vacant for more than a year and for more than two years (but not for other lengths of time) was collected in the authorities' 1985 housing investment programme returns. The figures for 1 April are listed in columns A19, A29 and A39, respectively, of the "HIP4(1985) all items print" which is available in the Library. Based on the returns and including estimates for local authorities which were unable to provide figures, there were 116,500 local authority dwellings vacant (including dwellings that had been closed) in England at 1 April 1985, of which 26,100 had been vacant for more than a year and 13,500 for more than two years.