§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future role he plans for housing repair agencies and their relationships with local authorities.
§ Mr. YeoOn 19 October 1990 my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) announced that the Government would provide a grant of 50 per cent. towards the running costs of approved schemes from 1 April 1991, to be channelled through local housing authorities which would also be responsible for identifying the needs of their areas and for securing the establishment and operation of appropriate schemes.
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List of Non-Metropolitan District Councils (Top 20 in Ranking order of loan Debt per Capita) Council Rank Outstanding Debt £ million Population1 Debt Per Capita POL Control Nottingham 1 423.9 273,500 1,550 NOC Harlow 2 108.8 71,300 1,526 Labour Stevenage 3 111.4 74,000 1,505 Labour Norwich 4 175.6 117,400 1,496 Labour Kingston on Hull 5 339.8 245,100 1,386 Labour Crawley 6 115.0 84,500 1,361 Labour Middlesbrough 7 187.0 142,700 1,310 Labour Blackburn 8 167.2 135,700 1,232 Labour Redditch 9 95.3 78,100 1,220 Labour Thamesdown 10 203.7 170,200 1,197 Labour Scunthorpe 11 65.7 59,600 1,102 Labour Tamworth 12 76.0 69,000 1,101 Labour Bracknell 13 114.2 104,600 1,092 Conservative Sedgefield 14 93.3 88,300 1,057 Labour Portsmouth 15 194.1 184,000 1,055 NOC Northampton 16 193.0 184,000 1,049 Conservative He also announced that a central co-ordinating body would be set up to undertake developmental and training work, monitor progress and provide advice to individual schemes; and I am now pleased to be able to announce that, having carefully considered the submissions put to us by various potentially suitable organisations, we have decided to invite Care and Repair Ltd. to take on that role from 1 April this year. My Department is currently discussing the details of a four-year contract with them.