HC Deb 18 January 1988 vol 145 cc206-7W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for the most recent 20-year period for which figures are available (i) the 20 local authorities which have had the most empty council properties at the end of each year, (ii) the corresponding figures for each authority's spending on housing in(a) cash and (b) real terms and (iii) each authority's total spending in (a) cash and (b) real terms on (a) statutory functions and (b) non-statutory functions.

Mr. Trippier

I regret that information for the last 20 years, which is not in every case available in the form requested, could be provided only at disproportionate expense. Available figures for the last two years are given in the table.

Local authority Number of vacant local authority dwellings at 1 April 1987 1986–87 Total housing expenditure £ million Number of vacant local authority dwellings at 1 April 1988 1987–88 Total housing expenditure £ million
Sandwell 2,799 42 3,062 49
Sheffield 3,390 67 2,856 89
Southwark 1,952 99 1,910 87
Sunderland 2,141 34 2,106 41
Tower Hamlets 2,825 84 2,526 95
Wolverhampton 1,927 39 1,737 38
1 Not among the 20 authorities with most vacants this year.

Note: It is not possible to provide a breakdwon into statutory and non-statutory expenditure.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide an estimate of the number of council and new town properties which were empty at the end of each year for the most recent 20-year period for which figures are available.

Mr. Trippier

The available information, derived from local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns, is as follows:

Vacant council dwellings at 1 April
thousands
1978 92
1979 100
1980 100
1981 97
1982 100
1983 114
1984 113
1985 117
1986 113
1987 112
1988 103

Note: From 1983 the figures include vacant dwellings which have been closed or acquired for demolition under the Housing Acts and, from 1987, dwellings owned by authorities outside their areas (eg overspill estates).

Corresponding information for earlier years is not available and similar information about new town dwellings is not held centrally.