HC Deb 30 January 1997 vol 289 cc317-9W
Mr. Congdon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the names of the authorities to be included in the programme for housing transfers by councils in 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [14082]

Mr. Curry

I am today announcing the names of the authorities which will be able to proceed, on a voluntary basis and subject to the approval of their tenants, with proposals to transfer their housing stock to private sector landlords in 1997–98. Eight authorities will be

Mr. Curry

The information requested is in the table. From 1990–91, non-domestic rates have been pooled nationally and then redistributed between areas as a constant amount per head. These redistributed amounts are not included in the table.

transferring all of their housing, amounting to almost 36,500 dwellings in large-scale voluntary housing transfers, generating capital receipts of over £350 million. A further nine authorities will be transferring a total of 18,572 dwellings with the aid of estates renewal challenge fund round 1 funding. The full programme involves 17 local authorities and over 55,000 dwellings.

This reflects the Government's commitment to a continuing programme of transfers as a means of generating private finance to repair and improve the condition of social housing.

The authorities which have gained a place on the programme, together with the intended recipient registered social landlord are as follows:

  1. (i) Borough of Allerdale (4,800 dwellings) to existing housing associations
  2. (ii) Bexley council (9,037 dwellings) to Orbit Housing Association and London and Quadrant Housing Trust
  3. (iii) Cheltenham borough council (6,058 dwellings) to a newly created local housing company
  4. (iv) Congleton borough council (4,258 dwellings) to a new housing association or local housing company
  5. (v) Eden district council (1,623 dwellings) to Eden Housing Association
  6. (vi) Kerrier district council (3,761 dwellings) to Kerrier Homes
    7. 319
  7. (vii) South Oxfordshire district council (5,067 dwellings) to South Oxfordshire Housing Association
  8. (viii) West Somerset district council (1,889 dwellings) to West Somerset Rural Housing Association.

The following nine authorities will be transferring their stock with the aid of ERCF funding and also have a place on the programme:

  1. (i) London borough of Brent (1,505 dwellings) to a subsidiary of Ealing Family Housing Association
  2. (ii) London borough of Hackney (3,112 dwellings) to three new local housing companies
  3. (iii) London borough of Lambeth (500 dwellings) to Metropolitan Housing Trust
  4. (iv) London borough of Merton (972 dwellings) to Pollards Hill Housing Association
  5. (v) Sandwell metropolitan borough council (7,053 dwellings) to three new local housing companies
  6. (vi) Sheffield city council (1,802 dwellings) to a new community-based local housing company
  7. (vii) Stoke city council (935 dwellings) to a new community-based housing association
  8. (viii) Tameside metropolitan borough council (904 dwellings) to West Ashton Homes
  9. (ix) London borough of Tower Hamlets (1,789 dwellings) to Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association.

A further application to transfer a number of dwellings to a local housing company is presently being considered.

To date, 53 authorities have disposed of all or part of their stock to new landlords and a further three more are due to do so by 1 April 1997. The Government are committed to a continuing programme of transfers and to extending the benefits of transfer to urban and non-traditional housing. The range of recipient landlords has been widened from traditional housing associations to local housing companies, and the indications are that some authorities on the 1997 programme will take advantage of the new legislation and select a local housing company as their recipient landlord. In addition to increasing the diversity of acquiring landlords, the Exchequer levy on certain transfers has been lifted for a period of three years, the size limit has been increased to up to 12,000 dwellings, and certain restrictions on the use of capital receipts generated from transfers have been removed.

Transfers will remain voluntary and require tenant support as they do now but, as a result of these and other measures, we expect an expanding programme of transfers over the coming years.