HC Deb 16 July 1991 vol 195 c123W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how the level of letting in public and private rented sectors is estimated; and if he will provide a breakdown of the constituent components of the total flow of lets on a yearly basis from 1980 to 1990;

(2) how many estimated private dwelling lets there were in each year from 1980 (a) in England and (b) in Great Britain.

Mr. Yeo

Total lettings of local authority dwellings, including transfers by existing tenants, are reported each year by local authorities in their housing investment programme returns.

Since 1986–87 housing associations have reported lettings annually to the Housing Corporation. For earlier years they can be estimated from the Labour Force Survey.

Lettings by other private landlords are also estimated from the Labour Force Survey.

Estimates of the number of lettings in England are given in the table:

thousands
Local authorities Housing associations1 2 Other private1
1980–81 3440 65 380
1981–82 415 4 4
1982–83 439 70 420
1983–84 429 60 470
1984–85 429 65 430
1985–86 437 80 410
1986–87 430 77 480
1987–88 426 70 520
1988–89 410 72 480
1989–90 390 76 540
1 Source of housing associations estimates (for years prior to 1986–87) and other private lettings (all years) is the Labour Force Survey. LFS is a sample survey, and so some of the year-to-year fluctuations in numbers may be the result of sample variability. The LFS will tend to understate the number of lettings by private landlords because what is recorded is whether the household had been at the address for under 12 months; the estimate does not allow for any multiple moves in the previous 12 months.
2 Housing association lettings from 1986–87 onwards are based on returns to the Housing Corporation. Internal transfers by tenants have only been reported from 1989–90 and figures for 1986–87 to 1988–89 include estimates of these lettings.
3 For 1980–81 includes estimate of non-secure and mobility lettings which were not included on local authority returns.
4 ‥ Not available.

For information about Scotland and Wales I refer the hon. member to my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales.