House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Jan 2006 (pt 23)

20 Jan 2006 : Column 1695W—continued

Private Garden Development

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) total area of privately-owned gardens in each London borough that has been developed in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [42951]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Land Use Change Statistics record the amounts of residential land developed but do not record whether it was privately owned or how much of the land was occupied by any garden.

Repossessions

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many repossessions were made in each of the last 10 years in (a) England and (b) Tamworth constituency. [43463]

Yvette Cooper: Information on mortgage possessions is only available for the United Kingdom as a whole and is collected by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The figures in the table include properties that are surrendered voluntarily.

Mortgages at end of period Properties taken into possession

Number Number % all loans

1995 10,521,000 49,410 0.47

1996 10,637,000 42,560 0.40

1997 10,738,000 32,770 0.31

1998 10,821,000 33,870 0.31

1999 10,982,000 29,990 0.27

2000 11,173,000 22,870 0.20

2001 11,247,000 18,280 0.16

2002 11,364,000 11,970 0.11

2003 11,452,000 7,830 0.07

2004 11,512,000 6,230 0.05
2005 January-June
11,550,000 4,640 0.04

Source:
Council of Mortgage Lenders

	Mortgages at end of period	Properties taken into possession
	Number	Number	% all loans
1995	10,521,000	49,410	0.47
1996	10,637,000	42,560	0.40
1997	10,738,000	32,770	0.31
1998	10,821,000	33,870	0.31
1999	10,982,000	29,990	0.27
2000	11,173,000	22,870	0.20
2001	11,247,000	18,280	0.16
2002	11,364,000	11,970	0.11
2003	11,452,000	7,830	0.07
2004	11,512,000	6,230	0.05
2005 January-June 11,550,000	4,640	0.04

Right To Buy (Houghton and Washington)

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of the council housing stock of (a) houses and (b) flats has been sold under the Right to Buy scheme in Houghton and Washington East constituency since 1980. [42445]

Yvette Cooper: Information is not collected for the Houghton and Washington East constituency. The following relates to Sunderland city council.

An estimated 30 per cent. of the housing stock formerly owned by Sunderland city council was sold through the Right to Buy scheme between the introduction of the scheme in 1980 and the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer of the stock to Sunderland Housing Group in 2000–01.

Separate information on the number of flats sold through the Right to Buy scheme is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

20 Jan 2006 : Column 1696W

Right to Buy (Kent)

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many right-to-buy completions there were in (a) Gravesham and (b) Kent in each year since 1996–97. [43278]

Yvette Cooper: The number of Right to Buy sales in Gravesham and Kent can be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at:

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id:=1156373

Right to Buy (Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many council homes in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire were sold under the right-to-buy scheme in each year since its introduction; and what the average sale price was in each of those years. [42971]

Yvette Cooper: The number of council homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme and the average sale price per dwelling, as reported by North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire for each available financial year is tabulated as follows.

Due to boundary changes it is not possible to supply data for years prior to those shown.

Financial year Number of Right
to Buy sales Average price net
of discount (£)

North East Lincolnshire UA
1996–97 48 15,813

1997–98 79 16,114

1998–99 72 16,014

1999–2000 90 16,189

2000–01 91 16,231

2001–02 86 15,291

2002–03 170 16,965

2003–04 289 20,931

2004–05 n/a n/a

North Lincolnshire UA

1996–97 n/a n/a

1997–98 n/a n/a

1998–99 143 16,077

1999–2000 150 16,313

2000–01 188 16,723

2001–02 186 17,247

2002–03 268 18,403

2003–04 263 25,293

2004–05 171 36,953

n/a=not available
Source:
P1AB returns from local authority to ODPM

Financial year	Number of Right to Buy sales	Average price net of discount (£)
North East Lincolnshire UA
1996–97	48	15,813
1997–98	79	16,114
1998–99	72	16,014
1999–2000	90	16,189
2000–01	91	16,231
2001–02	86	15,291
2002–03	170	16,965
2003–04	289	20,931
2004–05	n/a	n/a

North Lincolnshire UA
1996–97	n/a	n/a
1997–98	n/a	n/a
1998–99	143	16,077
1999–2000	150	16,313
2000–01	188	16,723
2001–02	186	17,247
2002–03	268	18,403
2003–04	263	25,293
2004–05	171	36,953

Vacant Domestic Properties

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vacant domestic properties there were in (a) England and (b) Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years, broken down by tenure. [43464]

Yvette Cooper: The following table contains the total number of vacant dwellings in England and in Tamworth, broken down by tenure for 2000 to 2004. This provides the latest available data:

20 Jan 2006 : Column 1697W

These figures include dwellings which have been empty for fewer than six months,
some of which for less than 1 month

Local
authority Registered
social landlords "Other"
public sector Private sector⁽²⁹⁾
(non-RSL) Total⁽²⁸⁾

Count date 1 April 31 March 1 April ⁽²⁹⁾— April/November

England

2000 87,200 37,500 12,600 623,200 760,500

2001 80,300 39,300 10,900 622,600 753,100

2002 78,100 39,700 9,000 631,200 758,100

2003 62,600 44,900 9,100 633,300 750,000

2004 57,500 43,300 7,400 608,600 716,800

Tamworth

2000 37 11 0 522 570

2001 48 11 0 561 620

2002 41 16 0 423 480

2003 50 7 0 455 512

2004 453 17 0 29 499

⁽²⁸⁾ For the total tenure dwellings, Council Tax Base 1 Supplement CTB1(S) return is used. It is regarded as the most reliable source but it does not have the tenure breakdown. It has been collected from 2000 but is considered to be only reliable from 2002 onwards. Hence HSSA is used for 2000 and 2001 figures. CTB1(S) data are for a specified date in November, which is different from both the HSSA (1 April) and RSR (31 March). The total figure may not equal to the sum of individual tenures' figures if different sources were used or rounding has been applied. CTB1(S) data for 2005 are not yet available.
⁽²⁹⁾ For the private sector tenure figures, before 2002, 1 April figures from HSSA are used. For the years 2002 through to 2004, to obtain the number of private sector (non RSLs) vacant dwellings LA, RSL and "Other public sector" figures were subtracted from the total vacant dwellings figure from the council tax data. This residual method is considered to be better than the less reliable private sector figure supplied in the HSSA return. (In order to adopt the residual method, CTBl's November figure has been taken to represent the data at 1 April. This assumes that the effect caused by these different snap-shot dates is insignificant. This is considered reasonable as properties become vacant and re-occupied and vice versa all the time i.e. there is a balancing effect. Hence over such a small period of time there should be minimal difference in the overall numbers between the two dates. The minute difference between 1 April and 31 March (from RSR) can also simply be ignored.)
From April local authorities will have new powers to bring empty properties back into use.
Sources:
Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return for LA and 'Other' public sector tenures
Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) for RSL tenure
Council Tax Base 1 (CTB1) return for the total tenure figures (see footnote 1)

	These figures include dwellings which have been empty for fewer than six months, some of which for less than 1 month
	Local authority	Registered social landlords	"Other" public sector	Private sector⁽²⁹⁾ (non-RSL)	Total⁽²⁸⁾
Count date	1 April	31 March	1 April	⁽²⁹⁾—	April/November
England
2000	87,200	37,500	12,600	623,200	760,500
2001	80,300	39,300	10,900	622,600	753,100
2002	78,100	39,700	9,000	631,200	758,100
2003	62,600	44,900	9,100	633,300	750,000
2004	57,500	43,300	7,400	608,600	716,800
Tamworth
2000	37	11	0	522	570
2001	48	11	0	561	620
2002	41	16	0	423	480
2003	50	7	0	455	512
2004	453	17	0	29	499

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vacant domestic properties there were in (a) England and (b) Houghton and Washington East constituency in each of the last five years, broken down by tenure. [42444]

Yvette Cooper: Figures on vacant dwellings at constituency level are not held centrally, but the Office

20 Jan 2006 : Column 1698W

of the Deputy Prime Minister does hold relevant local authority level figures.

The following table contains the total number of vacant dwellings in England and in Sunderland, broken down by tenure for 2000 to 2004. This provides the latest available data:

Local
authority Registered
social landlords "Other"
public sector Private sector⁽³⁰⁾
(non-RSL) Total⁽³¹⁾

Count date 1 April 31 March 1 April ⁽³⁰⁾— April/November

England

2000 87,200 37,500 12,600 623,200 760,500

2001 80,300 39,300 10,900 622,600 753,100

2002 78,100 39,700 9,000 631,200 758,100

2003 62,600 44,900 9,100 633,300 750,000

2004 57,500 43,300 7,400 608,600 716,800

Sunderland

2000 1,102 116 0 2,562 3,780

2001 0 ⁽³²⁾1,009 0 3,925 4,934

2002 0 995 0 2,633 3,628

2003 0 1,198 0 2,942 4,140

2004 0 1,432 0 2,682 4,114

⁽³⁰⁾ For the private sector tenure figures, before 2002, 1 April figures from HSSA are used. For the years 2002 through to 2004, to obtain the number of private sector (non-RSLs) vacant dwellings LA, RSL and "Other public sector" figures were subtracted from the total vacant dwellings figure from the council tax data. This residual method is considered to be better than the less reliable private sector figure supplied in the HSSA return. (In order to adopt the residual method, CTBl's November figure has been taken to represent the data at 1 April. This assumes that the effect caused by these different snap-shot dates is insignificant. This is considered reasonable as properties become vacant and re-occupied and vice versa all the time i.e. there is a balancing effect. Hence over such a small period of time there should be minimal difference in the overall numbers between the two dates. The minute difference between 1 April and 31 March (from RSR) can also simply be ignored.)
⁽³¹⁾ For the total tenure dwellings, Council Tax Base 1 Supplement CTB1(S)) return is used. It is regarded as the most reliable source but it does not have the tenure breakdown. It has been collected from 2000 but is considered to be reliable only from 2002 onwards. Hence HSSA is used for 2000 and 2001 figures. CTB1(S) data are for a specified date in November, which is different from both the HSSA (1 April) and RSR (31 March). The total figure may not equal to the sum of individual tenures' figures if different sources were used or rounding has been applied. CTB1(S) data for 2005 are not yet available.
⁽³²⁾ This figure is based on HSSA return because the reported RSR value missed out the transferred stock from LA to RSL.
Notes:
1. These figures include dwellings which have been empty for fewer than six months, some of which for less than one month.
2. Figures as at 1 April unless otherwise stated.
Sources:
Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return for LA and "Other" public sector tenures.
Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) for RSL tenure.
Council Tax Base 1 (CTB1) return for the total tenure figures (see footnote 2).

20 Jan 2006 : Column 1699W

	Local authority	Registered social landlords	"Other" public sector	Private sector⁽³⁰⁾ (non-RSL)	Total⁽³¹⁾
Count date	1 April	31 March	1 April	⁽³⁰⁾—	April/November
England
2000	87,200	37,500	12,600	623,200	760,500
2001	80,300	39,300	10,900	622,600	753,100
2002	78,100	39,700	9,000	631,200	758,100
2003	62,600	44,900	9,100	633,300	750,000
2004	57,500	43,300	7,400	608,600	716,800
Sunderland
2000	1,102	116	0	2,562	3,780
2001	0	⁽³²⁾1,009	0	3,925	4,934
2002	0	995	0	2,633	3,628
2003	0	1,198	0	2,942	4,140
2004	0	1,432	0	2,682	4,114

From April, local authorities will have new powers to bring empty properties back into use.

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