Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy for reducing the number of sub-standard homes. [11772]
§ Mr. ClappisonBetween 1986 and 1991, the number of unfit dwellings in England fell by 10 per cent. to 1.5 million. Of these, 62 per cent. needed less than £2,000 of work to make them fit, the majority being owner-occupied. The Government are investing, through the housing investment programme, to help local authorities maintain their stock, promoting the transfer of local authority stock to not-for-profit private landlords such as local housing companies, encouraging housing associations to buy up and repair run-down stock and providing renovation grants to help private owners make improvements to their homes—in 1995–96 £450 million was spent on 95,000 such grants.