§ 15. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses there are; how many council(a) houses and (b) flats have been sold since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungEnglish local authorities owned some 2.4 million houses and 1.6 million flats in April 1990. About 1.1 million houses and 120,000 flats have been sold into owner-occupation between April 1979 and December 1990. Sales of flats picked up markedly in 1987 when higher discounts came into operation, and flats now represent a fifth of all sales.
§ 35. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for public sector home-building; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungIn the first quarter of 1991, 2,000 new dwellings were completed by the public sector, mainly local authorities, in England. Housing associations are becoming the major providers of new subsidised rented housing and their output is forecast to increase by nearly half over the next three years. Full details of housebuilding by sector are published monthly by the Department in an information bulletin.
§ 36. Mr. WatsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any new proposals which would enable local authorities to use accrued capital receipts to build more homes for rent.
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§ Mr. YeoLocal authorities are required to set aside part of their capital receipts that have accrued from the sale of assets to meet outstanding loan debt and other liabilities. The remainder they may spend in new capital investment. We have no plans to reconsider these underlying principles, although the application in practice is something we keep under review.