HC Deb 24 February 1993 vol 219 c629W
26. Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest number of empty council homes.

Mr. Baldry

In the latest housing investment programme returns, the 10 councils reporting the highest percentage of their council house stock empty on 1 April 1992 were:

Empty dwellings
Liverpool 5,552
Hackney 2,432
Burnley 368
Manchester 4,938
Salford 1,661
North Tyneside 1,082
Redbridge 373
Tower Hamlets 1,703
Easington 619
Newcastle upon Tyne 1,562

These figures cover management vacants and those which are empty awaiting sale, major repairs or demolition.

I am considering whether to put greater emphasis on a more selective definition that would better reflect underlying trends in local authorities' management performance.