§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the vacancy rate in each housing sector.
§ Sir George YoungThe latest available information on the numbers and percentages of vacant dwellings in England is set out below. For local authorities and housing associations, figures are also given for management vacants.
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Vacant dwellings at 1 April 1993 Number Percentage of dwellings Local authorities2 Management vacants1 39,700 1.1 All vacant dwellings 70,900 1.9 Housing associations3 Management vacants1 17,200 2.4 All vacant dwellings 27,600 3.9 Government departments4 16,000 15.0 Private sector5 765,000 5.0 1Those available for letting immediately or after minor repairs. Sources:
2Annual Housing Investment Programme (HIP1) returns.
3Annual Housing Corporation HAR10/1 returns.
4Based on data collected from Government Departments by the Task Force on Government Department's empty houses.
5Annual Housing Investment Programme (HIP1) returns. Local authorities are asked to provide estimates of the number of private sector vacant dwellings in their area on these returns but there are doubts about the quality of the estimates provided by some authorities. Alternative survey information suggests that the numbers of private sector vacants reported on these returns may be an over-estimate.
The figure for housing association vacant dwellings includes around 10,500 dwellings purchased in the last weeks of the financial year under the housing market package announced in the 1992 Autumn Statement.