§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of (a) council, (b) private and (c) housing association housing starts for each year since 1974 in (i) Yorkshire and Humberside, (ii) Barnsley metropolitan council area and (iii) Barnsley, West and Penistone constituency.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information for Yorkshire and Humberside for the years 1975 to 1985 appears in table 6.4 of "Housing and Construction Statistics, 1975–1985" and provisional figures for 1986 are in table 1.3 of the quarterly "Housing and Construction Statistics" No. 28: copies are available in the Library. In 1974, there were 7,626 dwelling starts for local authorities, 1,024 for housing associations and 10,212 for the private sector in the region; there were another 13 starts for government departments.
Starts reported in the Barnsley area appear in the following issues of "Local Housing Statistics" which are also available in the Library :
Issue Number Table Number 1974 33 5 1975 37 5 1976 41 5 1977 45 5 1978 49 5 1979 59 4 1980 to 1983 73 1(b) to 1(e) 1984 77 1(b) 1985 78 1(b) For the years up to 1983, housing associations are included within the category "other public sector". In Barnsley there were 86 starts in this category in 1974, some of which may have been for Government Departments; the starts reported in 1979 and 1983 were all for housing associations. For the first nine months of 1986, no local authority starts have been reported, but 167 for housing associations and 244 for the private sector.
Information is not collected for individual constituencies.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department takes to ensure that the allocation of properties by housing trusts complies with the aims and policies of equal opportunity; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenI will answer this question shortly.