§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what additional resources he will make available to local authorities in order to implement the proposals on(a) homelessness, (b) housing allocations and (c) advice contained in the Housing Bill; [12141]
(2) what additional resources he will make available to enable local authorities to provide housing advice services where they are not currently available to fulfil the duties set out in the Housing Bill. [12142]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe provisions redefining the duty owed by local authorities to persons accepted as homeless and the accompanying reform of the allocation of social housing should not have a significant effect on central or local government expenditure. The effect will depend in part on the nature of the allocation schemes which local authorities establish in the light of principles to be prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations. Expenditure on advisory services, where these do not already exist in a satisfactory form, should be fully offset.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of additional demands for assistance under the provisions of the Children Act 1989 which may arise from homeless families refused assistance under the proposed homelessness legislation contained in the Housing Bill. [12146]
§ Mr. ClappisonThere is no reason why there should be any such demand; the relevant provisions in the Housing Bill make no changes to the groups which have a priority need for accommodation.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what assessment he has made of the change in the rate of use of properties in the private rented sector by local authorities under the provisions of the Housing Bill; [12147]
(2) what assessment he has made of the future availability to homeless households of properties in the private rented sector. [12148]
§ Mr. ClappisonWe expect the private rented sector to continue to develop and to make an important contribution to meeting the housing needs of a wide range of households.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has(a) evaluated and (b) commissioned into the likely housing benefit costs (i) to central Government funds and (ii) to local authorities of the provisions of the Housing Bill. [12143]
§ Mr. ClappisonWe have given careful consideration to the financial effects, including those relating to the cost of housing benefit, of the provisions in parts VI and VII of the Housing Bill. The Government consider that the provisions should not have a significant effect on central 787W or local government expenditure. This will depend in part on the nature of the allocation schemes which local authorities establish in the light of principles to be prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations. We will monitor local authorities' implementation of the provisions.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether alternative accommodation in the private sector will be deemed suitable if rent exceeds the local reference rent under the provisions contained in the Housing Bill. [12149]
§ Mr. ClappisonSuitable alternative accommodation for the purposes of part VII of the Housing Bill would need to be affordable within the resources available to the applicant, including housing benefit where applicable.