Owner-Occupation

13.

Sir Raymond Gower
asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many dwellings in Wales were owner-occupied at the latest convenient date; and what were the comparable figures for 1955, 1964, and 1979, respectively.

Mr. Wyn Roberts
At December 1984, 733,000 dwellings, 66 per cent. of the stock, were owner-occupied, and 630,000, or 59 per cent., in 1979. Figures are not available for 1955 and 1964, but in 1961, 48 per cent. of the stock was owner-occupied.

Sir Raymond Gower
Does my hon. Friend agree that that is a remarkable increase and demonstrates the success of the Government's policy to spread owner-occupation and ownership of property not only in Wales but in the whole of the United Kingdom?

Mr. Roberts
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I am delighted to tell him that the Government see scope for a further increase in owner-occupation. Our low-cost housing initiatives and shared ownership schemes are designed to promote home ownership still further.