To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of accommodation his Department estimates were brought into letting for homeless households (a) in Greater London, (b) in the south-east outside London and (c) in England as a whole, through local authority schemes to give existing council tenants cash incentives to buy a property on the open market (i) in 1986–87, (ii) in 1987–88 and (iii) in 1988–89; and at what average cost.

Regional and national estimates are not available. An exploratory research study of the majority of those Brent and Bromley tenants who received cash payments for home purchase in 1986 was published in May 1988 and a copy was placed in the Library. The department expects that the further studies of schemes in Tauntan Deane, Southend and Croydon will be received shortly from the survey organisation.Grants paid under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988 will be monitored for 1989–90 and subsequent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each scheme selected for an additional allocation of housing investment programme funds, under the homeless initiative promoted by his Department's Estate Action team (a) during 1987–88 and (b) during 1988–89; how many units of accommodation each scheme brought into use for homeless households; and whether each scheme provided permanent or temporary accommodation for homeless households; and what was the date of completion of each scheme.

Additional allocations under the Estate Action homelessness initiative have been made for the following schemes in 1987–88 and 1988–89. According to information supplied by local authorities all schemes were completed within the financial year in question.