§ Mrs. RoeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with the further housing action trust proposals announced in his statement of 16 December 1991, at columns59–62.
§ Sir George YoungI am pleased to announce that I have decided, after careful consideration of tenants views and of the detailed feasibility studies for the estates, that there should be ballots of tenants on the proposals to establish Housing Action Trusts for the Castle Vale estate in
Local authority housing capital expenditure by region 1982–83 to 1991–92 Cash Figures £ million 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 North (excluding Cumbria) 197 197 174 145 153 174 166 186 142 148 Yorkshire and Humberside 287 302 251 234 222 265 289 361 271 244 East Midlands 242 254 219 180 197 201 212 292 185 177 Eastern 282 314 343 309 302 327 428 572 347 318 Greater London 848 913 983 780 838 890 909 1,504 791 625 South East 338 406 418 354 364 430 533 663 416 314 South West 214 250 227 194 197 213 258 412 250 220 West Midlands 300 355 314 275 275 286 309 423 313 269 North West 452 500 441 407 383 432 434 532 386 354 Unallocated1 75 80 131 145 86 52 66 181 63 51 England 3,235 3,571 3,501 3,023 3,017 3,272 3,604 5,126 3,164 2,720 1 The regional figures do not sum to the overall England totals which include some expenditure (eg. the housing element of the Urban Programme, leasing) for which regional estimates are not available and because the England totals have been reconciled with other sources of data. 58W
Local authority housing capital expenditure in real terms1 by region, 1982–83 to 1991–92 Real term figures1 £ million 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 North (excluding Cumbria) 180 172 145 115 117 126 112 118 83 81 Yorkshire and Humberside 262 265 209 185 170 192 195 229 159 134 East Midlands 222 223 183 142 151 146 144 185 109 97 Eastern 258 274 286 244 231 237 289 363 204 175 Greater London 776 799 818 616 641 646 614 954 464 343 South East 310 355 348 280 278 312 360 420 244 172 South West 196 219 189 153 151 155 174 261 147 121 West Midlands 275 310 261 217 210 208 209 268 184 148 North West 414 437 368 321 293 313 294 337 227 194 Unallocated2 69 70 109 115 66 38 44 115 37 28 England 2,960 3,124 2,915 2,386 2,308 2,372 2,436 3,250 1,858 1,494 1 Cash figures have been converted to real terms (1981 prices) by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the GDP market prices deflator. Birmingham, and for the Lefevre Walk, Tredegar Road and Monteith estates in the Bow neighbourhood of Tower Hamlets.
I hope to announce ballot dates shortly. I shall do so as soon as I am satisfied that the consultations with tenants, which have been continuing for some time, have enabled them fully to explore and understand the implications for them of the establishment of HATs.
Meanwhile I have decided to appoint Mr. Richard Temple-Cox and Dr. Michael Barraclough respectively as prospective HAT chairs for the trusts. They will carry forward the necessary consultation with tenants, and help prepare for the major tasks to be undertaken by the trusts, if established.
While I am encouraged by the progress on the proposal for a HAT for Stonebridge Park in Brent, I have decided that it would not be appropriate to make a decision at this stage. I hope to be able to do so shortly.