§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the amount of housing benefit subsidy clawed back through negative entitlement under the housing revenue account subsidy formula. [76978]
§ Mr. RaynsfordA number of right hon. and hon. Members, local authorities, and tenants groups have made representations about the present Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system. In December 1998 we issued a consultation paper "A New Financial Framework for Local Authority Housing: Resource Accounting in the Housing Revenue Account" seeking views on proposals for fundamental changes in the system. These changes would include ending the practice of offsetting assumed surpluses on an Authority's Housing Revenue Account against rent rebate subsidy. Consultations are not yet complete and there will be an announcement about our plans in due course. A copy of the consultation paper is in the Library.