§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proportion of new housing starts by local authorities in England in each of the last eight years has been (a) wheelchair housing and (b) mobility housing;
(2) what proportion of new housing starts by housing associations in England in each of the last eight years has been (a) wheelchair housing and (h) mobility housing.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe information reported is as follows:
Dwellings for the chronically sick and disabled, England Percentages of all dwellings started for: Local authorities and new towns Housing associations Wheelchair per cent. Mobility per cent. Wheelchair per cent. Mobility per cent. 1979–80 1.2 11.5 1.0 13.5 1980–81 1.3 13.3 0.4 1.3 1981–82 1.3 8.2 0.2 0.9 1982–83 1.0 9.5 0.3 0.5 1983–84 1.3 8.1 0.3 1.0 1984–85 1.6 5.8 0.8 1.8 1985–86 1.2 7.2 0.3 1.6 11986–87 1.2 6.3 0.4 1.5 1 Provisional.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many (a) improvement grants and 102W (b) intermediate grants have been given by local authorities in England in each of the last eight financial years towards the cost of house adaptations required by disabled people;
(2) what proportion of (a) improvement grants and (b) intermediate grants given by local authorities in England in each of the last eight financial years have been for house adaptations required by disabled people.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe numbers reported are as follows:
Grants paid to private owners and tenants for disabled person's dwellings, England Improvement Intermediate Number Percentage of all improvement grants Number Percentage of all inter-mediate grants 1979–80 1,262 2 704 9 1980–81 1,810 3 858 10 1981–82 2,857 6 977 6 1982–83 6,276 10 1,494 7 1983–84 11,638 13 2,177 8 1984–85 12,399 17 2,714 10 1985–86 14,288 29 2,309 9 1 1986–87 16,617 36 1,978 10 1 Provisional.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many of the houses designated as unfit in Wales, Scotland, England and each of the English regions are lived in by pensioner households; and what proportion of those living in such housing pensioners represent;
(2) how may pensioners in Scotland, Wales, England and each of the English regions live in housing which has been designated as unfit; and, in each case, what proportion of the total number of pensioners in each area that number represents.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI will answer this question shortly.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of households in London who do not live in self-contained accommodation.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn the 1981 census, 126,000 of the 2,657,000 households usually resident in Greater London were in accommodation which was not self-contained.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of houses in need of substantial repairs in (a) the private sector and (b) The public sector in London, at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. WaldegraveInformation is not available in the form requested. The number of dwellings which are unfit, fit but lacking basic amenities, and others needing major renovation are provided by local authorities in their annual housing investment programme returns. Figures as at 1 April 1986 for London, including estimates for any missing or incomplete returns, are as follows:
103W
Thousands Private sector Public sector Unfit dwellings 163.0 46.8
Private sector Public sector Dwellings fit but lacking basic amenities 55.6 28.9 Non-Substandard dwellings in need of repairs of over £4,200 235.7 218.3 Note: "Public sector" includes housing association dwellings.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of households currently living in overcrowded accommodation in London, for the latest date available.
§ Mr. WaldegraveInformation on the number of households living at densities of more than one person per room is provided by authorities in their housing investment programme returns. Latest available figures for London are for 1 April 1986 and show 99,000 households at densities up to 1.5 persons per room and 40,000 at higher densities.