§ 33. Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the extent of(a) second and (b) holiday home ownership in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [120173]
§ Mr. MullinEstimates based on the Survey of English Housing (SEH) indicate that there were about 234,000 English households who owned second homes in England and Wales in 1998–99.
Some 46 per cent. of SEH respondents owning a second home included "holiday home/retirement home/weekend cottage" as one of their reasons for having the second home. This would indicate a figure for holiday home ownership of around 108,000.
There is no comparable recent and reliable source of information on people whose main residence is in Wales who have a second home in England or Wales.