§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of properties for rent which are empty in each of the categories of(a) local authority housing, (b) housing association housing and (c) Government Department housing; and what is his estimate of the percentage that this represents of the total number of properties in each such group.
§ Mr. Ridley[holding answer 26 July 1988]: Estimates derived from local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns for 1987 are as follows:
Vacant dwellings1 at 1 April 1987: England Number and percentage of stock 000's Percentage Local authorities2 108.6 2.5 Housing associations 12.9 2.7 Other public sector2 15.6 5.8 1 Excluding dwellings subject to demolition or closing orders. 2 Local authorities vacant housing in overspill estates is included in the host authorities under "other public sector" which also includes housing owned by new towns, county councils, Government departments, nationalised industries and other public bodies. Many of these are vacant because of operational requirements, notably those owned by the Ministry of Defence, and others have been acquired for demolition (for example, by the Department of Transport). Government is encouraging the sale of housing which is not required and many of those that are vacant are in the process of disposal.