§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total income received by each district council from the sales of council houses in each of the past five years; what percentage of these have been reclaimed by his Department; what is the projected figure, from each council, for the building of new council housing in the next financial year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungInformation on the total income received by each district council from the sales of council houses in the past five years will be placed in the Library of the House. None of these receipts is reclaimed by my Department. Under the capital receipts rules, local authorities are normally required to set aside 75 per cent. of their housing receipts to meet their debts. Figures for the building of new council housing in the next financial year 555W are not held centrally. Housing associations are now the main providers of new social housing, with local authorities concentrating on their enabling role and on managing their large stocks of existing council housing.