Rural Housing (Hansard, 28 June 1989)

§ 52. Mr. Gill
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the deficit of affordable housing in rural areas.

§ Mr. Trippier
It is not practicable to make a meaningful, reliable estimate of the sort suggested.

§ 76. Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further proposals he has to increase the supply of low-cost houses for rent in rural and urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Trippier
The Government have taken a variety of measures to encourage supply of affordable rented housing, including the deregulation of private letting, the encouragement of private investment in housing associations and an 80 per cent. increase in funding for the Housing Corporation.

§ 74. Mr. Barron
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has plans to advise planning authorities to make land available in urban and rural areas for(a) rented accommodation and (b) affordable housing; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Chope
My right hon. Friend's statement on 3 February—Official Report, column 433—set out the Government's policy on the role of the planning system in 490W securing the release of land for low-cost housing to meet local needs in rural areas. Planning policy guidance note 3 stresses that the planning system should cater effectively for the demand for land both for owner occupation and for rented housing. This applies to urban and to rural areas.

§ 64. Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding the need for low-cost housing in rural areas.

§ Mr. Trippier
My right hon. Friend receives many representations on the housing problems of both rural and urban areas from hon. Members, from interest groups, and from members of the public. The Government's policy on rural housing was set out in his statement of 5 July 1988, and amplified in statements of 3 and 7 February, copies of which are in the Library.