§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many agencies are engaged in seeking techniques for the reinstatement of Cornish unit type dwellings; and if he will list these;
(2) what progress is being made towards developing a technique for the reinstatement of Cornish unit type homes under the Housing Defects Act 1984; and when he expects people in ownership of this type of dwelling and who qualify for assistance will be able to be offered reinstatement.
§ Mr. GowIn my answer of 7 May to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker), at column 299–300, I explained that the National House Building Council had approved arrangements for the warranty scheme for repairs to prefabricated reinforced concrete houses designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984.
PRC Homes Ltd., a subsidiary of the National House-Building Council, will very shortly be inviting designers and builders to submit proposals for the reinstatement of Cornish unit and other types of PRC house. I understand that a number of methods of repair of Cornish unit houses are now being prepared for submission to PRC Homes Ltd. and I hope that the first repairs to Cornish unit houses under the scheme will be under way before long.
§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Cornish unit homes now in private ownership qualify for assistance under the Housing Defects Act 1984.
§ Mr. GowIn 1983 local authorities estimated that in Great Britain some 4,500 prefabricated reinforced concrete dwellings of the Cornish unit type had been sold by the public sector and were in private ownership.
The number qualifying for assistance under the Housing Defects Act is likely to be of this order.