HC Deb 02 March 1998 vol 307 c463W
Mr. Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) empty local authority homes, (b) empty private homes, (c) empty Government homes, (d) empty flats above shops, (e) vacant offices suitable for conversion into homes and (f) other non-residential premises suitable for conversion into homes there are in each region in Wales. [32225]

Mr. Win Griffiths

The number of vacant dwellings owned by local authorities is shown in the table, along with the available information on homes owned by the Welsh Office. The number of unoccupied homes owned privately is not collected centrally. Unoccupied homes owned by Government Departments other than the Welsh Office are not disaggregated for Wales. Statistics are not collected centrally on empty flats above shops, vacant offices suitable for conversion or other non-residential premises suitable for conversion.

Vacant dwellings
Number of vacant dwellings at 31 March 1997
Local authority dwellings
Blaenau Gwent 181
Bridgend 467
Caerphilly 212
Cardiff 621
Carmarthenshire 170
Ceredigion 27
Conwy 47
Denbighshire 29
Flintshire 90
Gwynedd 110
Isle of Anglesey 105
Merthyr Tydfil 238
Monmouthshire 29
Neath Port Talbot 230
Newport 249
Pembrokeshire 120
Powys 64
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 512
Swansea 445
Torfaen 332
The Vale of Glamorgan 117
Wrexham 327
Wales 4,722
Welsh Office Stock
Wales 133
1 At 1 April 1997. Excludes NHS properties.

Mr. Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money his Department has allocated in the current financial year to fill(a) empty local authority homes, (b) empty private homes, (c) empty Government homes, (d) empty flats above shops, (e) vacant offices suitable for conversion into homes and (f) other non-residential premises suitable for conversion into homes in each region in Wales. [32226]

Mr. Win Griffiths

None of the funding the Welsh Office makes available for housing capital programmes is tied specifically to use on empty homes. Local authorities are encouraged to include in their programmes action for bringing empty and under-used housing accommodation into efficient use.