§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when a Minister from his Department intends to visit the Rosehill estate, Willenhall, west midlands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 July at column 886. The estate has already been visited by the Department's regional housing controller. I hope to be able to do so myself at some future date.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will place in the Library the report proposed by the west midlands regional controller of his Department on the state of the properties in Rosehill estate, Willenhall, west midlands, arising from the visit made on 6 August;
(2) if he will now state the recommendations made by the regional controller of his Department regarding the Rosehill estate, Willenhall, arising from his visit on 6 August.
§ Sir George YoungThe regional controller's report was in the form of advice to Ministers. It was not intended for publication and it would not be appropriate to do so. Among his recommendations, the regional controller advised that the Department's urban housing renewal unit should visit the estate in order to assess the problems and suggest measures for dealing with them. A visit by UHRU has now been arranged.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations were made on 6 August by the Walsall metropolitan borough council to the west midlands regional controller of his Department regarding finance in 1986–87 to undertake the modernisation of properties on the Rosehill estate, Willenhall.
§ Sir George YoungAt the meeting on 6 August and at a subsequent meeting with officials to discuss its housing investment programme for 1986–87, Walsall borough council described the resources it feels it needs to undertake the range of its housing responsibilities: this included, as a major priority identified by the council, the modernisation of all its inter-war properties.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the main defects in the properties in the Rosehill estate, Willenhall; what is the likely cost of the work needed to be undertaken; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe main defects affecting the properties are damp and condensation and a general lack of repair and modernisation. The council has estimated the total cost of repairing and modernising the estate to be about £3 million.