§ Ms MoranTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the housing associations identified by the Housing Corporation as having rents above their recommended levels and in each case the percentage by which their average rents exceed the Housing Corporation's recommended levels. [71139]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Housing Corporation's requirement that year-on-year rent increases by registered social landlords (RSLs) should not exceed RPI+1 per cent. came into effect from 1 April 1998.
Published data on RSL rent increases relate to 1997–98, the year before the Corporation's performance standard became operative. The information is set out in a Corporation research publication (Source 32) a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Rent increases are shown for individual RSLs with more than 250 homes in ownership or management.
The Corporation has recently visited a number of RSLs with forecast rent increases in 1998–99 above RPI+1 per cent. as well as some which had high outlying rent levels compared to other RSLs as at 31 March 1998. The purpose of these visits was to establish the reasons for the rent variations and whether 604W strategies were in place to achieve compliance with the Corporation's performance standards. The result of these investigations will be published shortly by the Corporation. I will ensure a copy is placed in the Library.