§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Wandsworth Borough Council on the number of council properties that have been empty for periods longer than three months. [50704]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI have had no such discussions. However officials of the Government Office for London regularly discuss with Borough officials, as part of the annual Housing Investment Programme determination, many aspects of the Borough's housing strategy and of its performance as a housing authority. Empty council properties are one aspect of that discussion. The Government regularly mention the number of empty houses in each local authority area, and encourage all local authorities to implement strategies to minimise the number of empty houses in their area.