HC Deb 12 February 1991 vol 185 cc426-8W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what were the figures for homelessness for each parliamentary constituency in Kent in(a) 1979 and (b) 1989;

(2) if he will list the local authority housing departments which cover each parliamentary constituency in Kent.

(3) how many council houses have been bought in each parliamentary constituency in Kent since 1979;

(4) what were the figures for homelessness for each local authority housing department in the Kent area in (a) 1979 and (b) 1989;

(5) how many council houses have been bought in each housing authority in Kent since 1979.

Mr. Yeo

The table gives each parliamentary constituency in Kent together with their respective local authority housing department(s). In all but four constituencies, the constituency consists of part of one or more local authority areas.

Constituency Local authority(ies)
Ashford Ashford
Canterbury Canterbury (part), Swale (part)
Dartford Dartford, Sevenoaks (part)
Dover Dover (part)
Faversham Swale (part)
Folkestone and Hythe Shepway
Gillingham Gillingham, Swale (part)
Gravesham Gravesham
Maidstone Maidstone (part)
Medway Rochester upon Medway (part)
Mid-Kent Maidstone (part), Rochester upon Medway (part)
North Thanet Canterbury (part), Thanet (part)
Sevenoaks Sevenoaks (part)
South Thanet Thanet (part), Dover (part)
Tonbridge and Mailing Tonbridge and Mailing
Tunbridge Wells Tunbridge Wells

Local authorities report the number of households accepted and found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the Housing Act 1985. Annual figures for each local authority in Kent are given in "Local Housing Statistics"; the figures for 1979 are in table 14 of edition No. 54 and the figures for 1989 are in table 9(b) of edition No. 94

A table showing the available information on sales for each English local authority for each financial year since 1986–87 and with a cumulative total to September 1990 was recently placed in the Library—Official Report, 30 January 1991, column 542.

Late returns from Canterbury, Maidstone, Rochester upon Medway and Shepway revise the totals shown in the table as follows:

Sales 1 April 1979 to 30 September 1990 Sales as per cent, of stock
Canterbury
rtb sales 2,152 24.2
all sales 2,600 29.2
of which flats 156
Maidslone
rtb sales 1,861 16.9
all sales 2,741 24.9
of which flats 142
Rochester upon Medway
rtb sales 14,100 130.4
all sales 113,166 197.6
of which flats 1481
Shepway
rtb sales 1,428 24.7
all sales 1,669 28.8
of which flats 127
1 Incomplete numbers of sales.

Of the 14 local housing authorities in Kent three have transferred their remaining stock to a housing association —Sevenoaks—March 1989, Swale—March 1990, Tonbridge and Mailing—January 1991. Rochester upon Medway transferred its remaining stock to a private company in July 1990.

It is not possible to give the homelessness acceptance figures or the numbers of sales for all the parliamentary constituencies in Kent. These statistics are available only by local authority area.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the 1990 capital allocation to each local authority housing department covering the Kent area;

(2) what was the 1990 housing investment programme capital bid by each local authority housing authority department covering the Kent area.

Mr. Yeo

A table listing Housing Investment Programme allocations for 1991–92 for each local authority was placed in the Library on 13 December 1990. Local authorities' proposals for gross capital expenditure in 1991–92 were as follows:

£ thousands
Ashford 9,949
Canterbury 11,715
Dartford 5,218

£ thousands
Dover 5,819
Gillingham 8,118
Gravesham 7,094
Maidstone 14,405
Rochester upon Medway 10,494
Sevenoaks 8,773
Shepway 5,093
Swale 11,547
Thanet 4,899
Tonbridge and Mailing 3,900
Tunbridge Wells 4,516

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) according to information submitted to support 1990's capital allocation bids under the housing investment programme, what was the number of unfit properties in each local authority in Kent;

(2) according to information submitted to support 1990's capital allocation bids under the housing investment programme, what was the number of (a) unfit housing association properties, (b) unfit public sector properties and (c) unfit private sector properties within the area of each local authority housing department in Kent.

Mr. Yeo

Local authorities report the number of unfit dwellings in their own stock, and estimates of those owned by housing associations, other public sector bodies and in the private sector, in their annual housing investment programme returns—HIP1. The available figures for 1 April 1990 appear in "1990 HIP1 All Items Print", columns A31, A32, A33, and A34 respectively; a copy of which is in the Library.