HC Deb 21 January 1988 vol 125 c826W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the public sector revenue costs of housing homeless families(a) in Greater London and (b) in English non-metropolitan areas (i) by providing them with newly-built council dwellings, (ii) by providing them with council dwellings acquired from the private sector and newly improved for letting and (iii) by providing them with bed and breakfast accommodation; and if he will publish these figures on a comparable basis with those published in his replies to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 16 January 1987. Official Report, columns 331–2, and on 4 March 1987, Offical Report, column 639.

Mr. Waldegrave

Estimates for 1986–87 are as follows:

Greater London English non-metropolitan areas
£ £
New build 7,400 4,600
Acquisition and renovation 6,700 4,500
Bed and breakfast 31 14

Notes:

i. the estimates for new build and for acquisition and renovation show the total first year costs to local authorities of the accommodation shown;

ii. estimates of average new built and renovation costs were derived from information provided by local authorities in housing subsidy and can show significant variation from authority to authority and year to year reflecting differences in the mix of work undertaken;

iii. the bed and breakfast figures are gross costs per household day and are based on returns to CIPFA from those local authorities providing information on both gross expenditure on bed and breakfast and the number of household days of bed and breakfast provided.