Housing (Hansard, 16 December 2002)

§ Ms Oona King
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will commission research into the causes, extent and possible solutions to household overcrowding in the United Kingdom; [86819]
(2) what measures he plans to bring forward to address changes in the number of households who are two or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard. [86822]

§ Mr. McNulty
Information on the extent of overcrowding in England is available from the Survey of English Housing. As mentioned in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 7 November 2002,Official Report, column 621W, we are considering whether overcrowding is best tackled through a modern set of standards—updating the present legislative framework or through the new Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which we hope to introduce as a replacement for the housing fitness standard when parliamentary time allows. Our consideration of options will take account of our understanding of the underlying causes of household overcrowding.

§ Ms Oona King
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many households in each Government Office region have been shown by the Survey of English Housing 2001–02 to be two or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard(a) in total and (b) in the private rented sector; [86821]
(2) how many households are three or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard; and if he will make a statement. [86818]

§ Mr. McNulty
The number of households three or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard is extremely small which means that any estimate from a sample survey will be subject to a very wide margin of error. The best estimate from Survey of English Housing data, averaged over the last three years (1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02) is 4,000 households out of more than 20 million households.
The number of households in each Government Office region two or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard, estimated from Survey of English Housing data and averaged over the last three years, is shown in the table.
629W

Households in England: difference, from bedroom standard¹ by tenure (average 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02)

thousands

Owner occupied Social rented Privately rented All tenures

1 below Equal or below Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total

East Midlands 14 1,279 1,295 1 10 304 314 0 3 143 146 2 28 1,726 1,756

West Midlands 23 1,501 1,527 1 18 458 477 0 5 148 153 4 47 2,107 2,157

Eastern 14 1,625 1,641 1 15 368 385 1 5 202 208 3 35 2,196 2,234

London 41 1,693 1,739 10 86 702 797 4 25 406 435 19 152 2,801 2,971

South East 21 2,480 2,503 2 24 430 456 0 9 328 338 4 55 3,238 3,298

South West 16 1,517 1,533 1 11 298 310 0 6 219 225 2 32 2,034 2,067

England 182 14,114 14,315 19 208 3,940 4,167 7 69 1,948 2,023 45 458 20,002 20,506

percentages

North East 1.2 98.8 100.0 0.2 2.1 977 100.0 0.0 2.7 97.3 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 100.0

North West 1.5 98.4 100.0 0.3 3.7 96.1 100.0 0.2 2.1 97.6 100.0 0.2 2.0 97.8 100.0

Yorks and Humber 1.1 98.7 100.0 0.2 2.8 96.9 100.0 0.4 3.8 95.8 100.0 0.2 1.8 98.0 100.0

East Midlands 1.1 98.8 100.0 0.3 3.2 96.5 100.0 0.0 2.3 97.7 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 1O0.0

West Midlands 1.5 98.3 100.0 0.3 3.8 95.9 100.0 0.3 3.1 96.6 100.0 0.2 2.2 97.6 100.0

Eastern 0.8 99.1 100.0 0.3 4.0 95.7 100.0 0.3 2.6 97.1 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 100.0

London 2.3 97.3 100.0 1.2 10.8 88.0 100.0 0.9 5.8 93.3 100.0 0.6 5.1 94.3 100.0

South East 0.9 99.1 100.0 0.4 5.3 94.3 100.0 0.1 2.8 97.1 100.0 0.1 1.7 98.2 100.0

South West 1.0 99.0 100.0 0.3 3.4 96.3 100.0 0.2 2.5 97.3 100.0 0.1 1.5 98.4 100.0

England 1.3 98.6 100.0 0.5 5.0 94.6 100.0 0.3 3.4 96.3 100.0 0.2 2.2 97.5 100.0

¹ Bedroom standard is an indicator of occupation density. A notional number of bedrooms are allocated to each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to each other. This is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bedsitters) available for the sole use of the household.

Source:
Survey of England Housing. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Households in England: difference, from bedroom standard¹ by tenure (average 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02)
thousands
	Owner occupied	Social rented		Privately rented		All tenures
	1 below	Equal or below	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total
East Midlands	14	1,279	1,295	1	10	304	314	0	3	143	146	2	28	1,726	1,756
West Midlands	23	1,501	1,527	1	18	458	477	0	5	148	153	4	47	2,107	2,157
Eastern	14	1,625	1,641	1	15	368	385	1	5	202	208	3	35	2,196	2,234
London	41	1,693	1,739	10	86	702	797	4	25	406	435	19	152	2,801	2,971
South East	21	2,480	2,503	2	24	430	456	0	9	328	338	4	55	3,238	3,298
South West	16	1,517	1,533	1	11	298	310	0	6	219	225	2	32	2,034	2,067
England	182	14,114	14,315	19	208	3,940	4,167	7	69	1,948	2,023	45	458	20,002	20,506
percentages
North East	1.2	98.8	100.0	0.2	2.1	977	100.0	0.0	2.7	97.3	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	100.0
North West	1.5	98.4	100.0	0.3	3.7	96.1	100.0	0.2	2.1	97.6	100.0	0.2	2.0	97.8	100.0
Yorks and Humber	1.1	98.7	100.0	0.2	2.8	96.9	100.0	0.4	3.8	95.8	100.0	0.2	1.8	98.0	100.0
East Midlands	1.1	98.8	100.0	0.3	3.2	96.5	100.0	0.0	2.3	97.7	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	1O0.0
West Midlands	1.5	98.3	100.0	0.3	3.8	95.9	100.0	0.3	3.1	96.6	100.0	0.2	2.2	97.6	100.0
Eastern	0.8	99.1	100.0	0.3	4.0	95.7	100.0	0.3	2.6	97.1	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	100.0
London	2.3	97.3	100.0	1.2	10.8	88.0	100.0	0.9	5.8	93.3	100.0	0.6	5.1	94.3	100.0
South East	0.9	99.1	100.0	0.4	5.3	94.3	100.0	0.1	2.8	97.1	100.0	0.1	1.7	98.2	100.0
South West	1.0	99.0	100.0	0.3	3.4	96.3	100.0	0.2	2.5	97.3	100.0	0.1	1.5	98.4	100.0
England	1.3	98.6	100.0	0.5	5.0	94.6	100.0	0.3	3.4	96.3	100.0	0.2	2.2	97.5	100.0
¹ Bedroom standard is an indicator of occupation density. A notional number of bedrooms are allocated to each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to each other. This is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bedsitters) available for the sole use of the household.