§ 27. Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the amount of empty private sector housing in particular local authorities. [36671]
§ Ms KeebleThe amount of empty private sector housing in some areas is a cause for concern. We are tackling this problem in high demand areas by encouraging local authorities to adopt empty property reduction strategies. In low demand areas—including parts of east Lancashire—we are considering proposals for housing market renewal schemes. We cannot give commitments about resources ahead of the conclusions of the current spending review.