HC Deb 11 July 1989 vol 156 c479W
Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the in theOfficial Report the 30 local authorities in England with the largest amounts of rent arrears, with the amounts outstanding and the number of people owing in each case.

Mr. Trippier

The information, for the end of March 1988, is listed as follows:

Rent arrears1 £000s Number of current and former tenants in arrears2
1. Southwark 19,019 ֵ
2. Lambeth 12,554 ֵ
3. Liverpool 11,220 ֵ
4. Islington 9,764 ֵ
5. Hackney 8,418 ֵ
6. Brent 38,100 20,140
7. Manchester 8,085 55,368
8. Sheffield 5,449 ֵ
9. Birmingham 5,263 46,950
10. Greenwich 4,785 ֵ
11. Lewisham 4,700 ֵ
12. Camden 4,660 25,230
13. Haringey 4,119 ֵ
14. Walsall 4,016 21,946
15. Newham 3,626 ֵ
16. Wolverhampton 3,329 ֵ
17. Waltham Forest 3,141 ֵ
18. Wandsworth 2,409 16,081
19. Newcastle upon Tyne 2,321 26,774
20. Knowsley 2,282 16,898
21. Tower Hamlets 2,218 23,068
22. Ealing 2,196 11,727
23. Leicester 2,188 21,444
24. Hammersmith and Fulham 2,153 16,511
25. Leeds 2,136 32,721
26. Sandwell 2,101 21,985
27. Bradford 2,002 21,588
28. Salford 1,867 18,616
29. Westminster 1,779 12,577
30. Kirklees 1,627 14,344
1 Cumulative rent arrears are reported to the Department on local authorities' Housing Subsidy Claim forms, but these do not give the number of tenants in arrears.
2 Local authority tenants owing rent, rates and other charges as reported to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and published in "Housing Rents Statistics at April 1988" are given where available (ֵ indicates not available).
3 Department of the Environment estimate of rent arrears based on reported total tenants' arrears (including rates etc.) of £16.7 million.