HC Deb 28 January 1994 vol 236 cc446-7W
Ms Glenda Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the locations of the empty properties he wishes to return to the affordable rented housing sector;

(2) how many of the empty properties he wishes to return to the affordable rented housing sector he estimates would have (a) bed-sitter accommodation, (b) one bedroom, (c) two bedrooms or (d) three or more bedrooms;

(3) how many (a) flats, (b) terraced houses, (c) semi-detached houses and (d) detached houses are among the empty properties he wishes to return to the affordable rented sector.

Sir George Young

The HIP returns submitted by local authorities show that they estimate that there are 765,000 vacant private sector properties as at 1 April 1993. These estimates are not broken down into the categories requested. The Government aim to create the conditions which will encourage landlords to make their empty properties available for sale or rent. I have no specific targets, but even if only a proportion could be returned to use that would be a valuable contribution to meeting housing need.