§ Mr. RiddickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce a table showing(a) the level of grant made by the Housing Corporation to housing associations within each one of the five West Yorkshire local authorities in each of the past five years, (b) the housing needs index for each authority in each year, (c) the excess or shortfall of grant over or below housing needs index for each authority in each year and (d) the total excess or shortfall for each authority over the five-year period; and if he will outline the criteria used by the Housing Corporation which would cause the grant made to housing associations within each local authority being either above or below that authority's housing needs index.
§ Mr. YeoThe distribution of resources among local authority areas is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have, therefore, asked the corporation to reply direct to my hon. Friend with the information he has requested. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House. It should be noted, however, that although the housing needs indicator is the best means available for allocating resources to Housing Corporation regions, for142W statistical reasons it is less reliable at local level. In determining priorities within the regions, therefore, the corporation's regional offices also use their own assessment of need, informed by discussions with local authorities in their enabling role.