§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the contribution made by the federal and state governments in Germany to the building of new publicly owned housing in the latest year for which figures are available; and what is the net contribution made by central Government in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Chope[holding answer 30 November 1989]: A full comparison on an objective basis between the United Kingdom and Germany is not available.
133WMost dwellings in Germany (Federal Republic) that have been built with public subsidy are owned by non-profit-making bodies or by private companies and individuals. Some are owner-occupied. Total public expenditure for "social" dwellings (the German term) was estimated at 5,130 million DM in 1986. Separate figures for the share in this total of federal and state governments are not immediately available. In the United Kingdom central Government housing subsidies paid to local authorities are not divided into financing new building and other categories of expenditure. Central Government subsidies in 1986–87 to local authorities and public corporations were £811 million. This does not include subsidies to housing associations.