§ Mr. O'Brienasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the beacon rents for defective houses in the Yorkshire and east midlands registration areas;
(2) how many houses which are identified within the Housing Defects Act 1984 have been registered for fair rents.
§ Mr. TraceyInformation on registered rents does not show whether the properties concerned have been designed under the Housing Defects Act 1984 (now Housing Act 1985), and there is not beacon rent specifically for defective houses. Beacon rents are assessed only for four standard property types. The July 1986 beacon rents for modernised 1930s three bedroom semi-detached houses, which may be of a broadly similar size to some of the common types of defective houses, range from £20.75 to £26.73 per week in Yorkshire, and from £20.75 to £23.75 in the east midlands.
§ Mr. O'Brienasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the recommendation by the Building Research Establishment that defective houses should be examined at least every five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Building Research Establishment has recommended that designated unrepaired PRC properties first be inspected and tested as necessary, and then, in the light of that assessment, re-inspected periodically (not necessarily at five-year intervals). We have received no recent representations on this advice.