§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to enable local authorities to play a more active role in the facilitation of the building of new homes by housing associations.
§ Mr. BaldryMy Department has recently issued a consultation paper which includes proposals aimed at co-ordinating decisions on the initial allocations of Housing Corporation funding with local authorities' housing strategies. The paper builds on authorities' role as enablers, which involves facilitating the development of social housing by housing associations or other providers, for example by the use of planning powers, or by providing land for housing. It proposes a framework for discussions on housing needs, and the allocation of resources to meet these needs. These discussions will involve housing authorities; the regional offices of the Housing Corporation, who are the main providers of public funding for new social housing; and the regional offices of my Department.
Copies of the consultation paper, which is entitled "The Development of the Local Authority Housing Investment Programme Process", are in the Library; responses are invited by 26 June.