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Section 2<br />

Context<br />

Context Section 2<br />

Table<br />

2.29.1<br />

Characteristics <strong>of</strong> the Hous<strong>in</strong>g Stock <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom, 1971-1991<br />

Category %<br />

Dwell<strong>in</strong>gs by tenure, various years 1971 Owner-occupied 50.0<br />

Privately rented 19.5<br />

Rented from a registered social landlord 0.0<br />

Rented from a local authority 30.5<br />

1981 Owner-occupied 57.6<br />

Privately rented 11.1<br />

Rented from a registered social landlord 2.19<br />

Rented from a local authority 29.2<br />

1991 Owner-occupied 66<br />

Privately rented 9.3<br />

Rented from a registered social landlord 3<br />

Rented from a local authority 21.1<br />

2001 Owner-occupied 69<br />

Privately rented 9.3<br />

Rented from a registered social landlord 6.4<br />

Rented from a local authority 14.4<br />

Dwell<strong>in</strong>gs by period <strong>of</strong> construction (1996 data) 1985 13.0<br />

Note: data on <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> tenure for 1971, 1981 and 1991 refer to 1 April <strong>of</strong> the year <strong>in</strong> question; data for 2001 refer to 31 March.<br />

Table<br />

2.29.2<br />

Economic Trends <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom,<br />

1991-2002<br />

Category<br />

Consumer Change<br />

Unemployment Employment price <strong>in</strong>dex <strong>in</strong> GDP<br />

rate <strong>of</strong> rate <strong>of</strong> (all items), at constant<br />

people aged people aged year-on-year (1995)<br />

Year 16 and over 16 and over change prices<br />

1991 8.4 58.5 7.5 Nav<br />

1992 9.8 57.0 4.2 Nav<br />

1993 10.5 56.2 2.5 Nav<br />

1994 9.8 56.5 2.0 4.4<br />

1995 8.8 57.0 2.6 2.8<br />

1996 8.3 57.4 2.5 2.7<br />

1997 7.2 58.2 1.8 3.3<br />

1998 6.2 58.5 1.6 3.1<br />

1999 6.1 59.0 1.3 2.8<br />

2000 5.6 59.5 0.8 3.8<br />

2001 4.9 59.7 1.2 2.1<br />

2002 5.2 59.7 1.3 1.6<br />

sharply while the proportion rented from a Registered<br />

Social Landlord has grown.<br />

This table also reveals that the age <strong>of</strong> the UK <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong><br />

stock is comparatively high <strong>in</strong> European terms. Only<br />

13% <strong>of</strong> the national <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock was constructed<br />

between 1985 and 1996.<br />

unemployment rate <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom has<br />

fallen steadily. In 1991, 8.4% <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals aged<br />

16 years and over were unemployed but by 2002<br />

this had fallen to 5.2%. In addition, <strong>in</strong>flation as<br />

measured by the consumer price <strong>in</strong>dex had also<br />

fallen. In 1991 consumer prices grew by 7.5% on<br />

the previous year, but by 2002 this rate <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

had fallen to just 1.3%.<br />

2.29.4 Demography<br />

In 2001 the population <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />

stood at 59,862,800 persons. TABLE 2.29.3 reveals<br />

that the population has <strong>in</strong>creased by 6.1% s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

1980 when the number <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>habitants totalled<br />

56,330,000 persons. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the same period the<br />

number <strong>of</strong> households <strong>in</strong> England, Scotland and<br />

Wales <strong>in</strong>creased by 22.7% – from 19,900,000 <strong>in</strong><br />

1990 to 24,121,000 <strong>in</strong> 2000. As well as population<br />

growth, this <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the number <strong>of</strong> households<br />

was driven by a reduction <strong>in</strong> the average household<br />

size which fell from 2.7 persons <strong>in</strong> 1980 to 2.4 <strong>in</strong><br />

2000.<br />

<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> standards, the grants regime for private<br />

<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> and the establishment <strong>of</strong> the Communities<br />

Scotland organisation which was mentioned above.<br />

Better Homes for People <strong>in</strong> Wales, published <strong>in</strong> 2001<br />

sets out the Welsh Assembly’s vision for the future <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> this country together with an associated<br />

policy framework. The implementation <strong>of</strong> this strategy<br />

is guided by an action plan which was published <strong>in</strong><br />

2003.<br />

At the time <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g the Northern Ireland Assembly<br />

was suspended. However the Northern Ireland Affairs<br />

Committee <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom parliament has<br />

recently established a sub-committee to enquire <strong>in</strong>to<br />

social <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> provision <strong>in</strong> Northern Ireland.<br />

2.29.2 Stock<br />

In 2001 the total <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />

stood at 25,456,000 dwell<strong>in</strong>gs. The UK <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock<br />

has expanded significantly <strong>in</strong> recent decades. In 1971<br />

the total number <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the country was<br />

19,468,000.<br />

TABLE 2.29.1 reveals that <strong>in</strong> 2001, 69% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

were owner-occupied, 9.3% were rented from a private<br />

landlord and 20.8% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were social rented –<br />

14.4% from a local authority and 6.4% from a<br />

Registered Social Landlord. Like many other <strong>countries</strong><br />

exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> this review, levels <strong>of</strong> home ownership <strong>in</strong><br />

the UK have expanded <strong>in</strong> recent decades – <strong>in</strong> 1971<br />

only 50% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were owner-occupied.<br />

Conversely, the size <strong>of</strong> the private rented and the social<br />

rented sectors has also contracted s<strong>in</strong>ce the early 1980s<br />

Data regard<strong>in</strong>g the standard <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs across the<br />

whole <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom are not available.<br />

However, data for England <strong>in</strong>dicate that the<br />

standard <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> this part <strong>of</strong> the UK<br />

compare well with the other <strong>countries</strong> exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong><br />

this review. In 2001, 81% <strong>of</strong> all dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong><br />

England conta<strong>in</strong>ed 4 rooms or more, although this<br />

figure falls to 70% <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> social rented<br />

dwell<strong>in</strong>gs. Also dur<strong>in</strong>g this year 99% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

<strong>in</strong> England had all <strong>of</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g amenities: a<br />

kitchen s<strong>in</strong>k, a bath or shower, a wash-hand bas<strong>in</strong>,<br />

a hot and cold water supply and an <strong>in</strong>door<br />

lavatory.<br />

2.29.3 Economy<br />

TABLE 2.29.2 demonstrates that the rate <strong>of</strong> growth<br />

<strong>in</strong> GDP <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom slowed slightly <strong>in</strong><br />

Table<br />

2.29.3<br />

Demographic Trends <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom,<br />

1980-2000<br />

Population by year (No.) 1980 56,330,000<br />

1985 56,685,000<br />

1990 57,561,000<br />

1995 58,606,000<br />

2000 59,756,000<br />

Population by age (2000 data) (%)

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