§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response the Government have made to the proposals for policy objectives on affordable rented housing put forward by the Churches National Housing Coalition in its document circulated to hon. Members.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 10 May 1993]: The Government have noted with interest the points made by the Churches National Housing Coalition. The coalition's proposals concerned supply and choice of housing; homelessness and targeting resources. In all these areas we are already making significant progress.
The Government's aim is to ensure that a decent home is within the reach of every family.
We have taken steps to increase the supply of low-cost housing where it is needed. The housing market measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the autumn statement mean that the public resources available to housing associations, the main providers of new social housing, increased from £935 million in 1989–90 to £1.8 billion in 1993–94, making some 54,500 new homes available. In addition, the temporary relaxation of the rules governing local authority receipts, for the period November 1992 to December 1993, gives local authorities greatly increased spending power for projects such as the renovation of their housing stock.
Greater choice and efficiency are key elements of Government policy. We have taken measures to encourage the revival of the private rented sector; to give public sector tenants greater control over the management of their homes; to encourage more efficient management in the social sector; as well as promoting home ownership.
Under the rough sleepers initiative, £96 million was made available from 1990–91 to 1992–93 to provide additional hostel and longer-term accommodation in central London, where the problem is most acute. A further £86 million is available over three financial years, from April 1993–94 to 1995–96 build on the success of this initiative.
We believe that it is a more efficient use of resources to target subsidy towards people rather than simply into "bricks and mortar", so that the public subsidy reaches those individuals who need it most. Our policies on spending in the social sector reflect that.
531WIn addition, home ownership continues to hold a central place in our housing policy. The right to buy for council housing, as well as our rent-to-mortgages proposals; cash incentive schemes to enable public sector tenants to move out into owner-occupation; and shared ownership schemes are all important parts of our commitment to help those who want to own their own homes to do so.