§ Mr. Bellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will explain the £44 million reduction in Northern Ireland housing finance.
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§ Mr. NeedhamI refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr. Jackson) on 19 December 1985, at columns267–68, which indicated that the public expenditure allocation for housing in Northern Ireland in 1986–87 will be £355 million. This compares with £357 million in the current financial year. I understand that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has estimated that, in order to maintain its expenditure at current levels in real terms, the resources available to it in 1986.87 from all sources would have needed to be some £44 million higher to take account of falling capital receipts and increasing loan repayments. It is not possible to increase the public expenditure allocation given other pressures on the Northern Ireland block.