Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families were recorded as living in overcrowded conditions in Blackpool South constituency in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

The social housing reforms in the Localism Act have given local authorities and social landlords the tools they need to tackle overcrowding; while retaining the reasonable preference provisions in the allocation legislation which ensure that overcrowded families continue to get priority for social housing. HomeSwap Direct is there to make it easier for overcrowded social tenants to swap with those who want to downsize. The removal of the spare room subsidy also encourages the more effective use of social housing, by addressing the under-occupation of family homes.

Our Affordable Homes Programme is on track to deliver 170,000 new affordable homes between 2011 and 2015, with £19.5 billion of public and private funding. A further £38 billion public and private investment will help ensure 275,000 new affordable homes are provided between 2015 and 2020.

Data on occupancy at the local authority level from the 2011 Census is published at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-wards-and-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/rft-qs412ew.xls