§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the resources available to Birmingham city council to improve its council housing stock. [150675]
Mr. Robert AinsworthCapital investment by local authorities is financed by support from central government and from their own resources. The size of their overall programme, the total for housing and the proportion of this spent on the council housing stock are for authorities to decide.
Government support for housing investment by Birmingham for 2001–02 totals £90.2 million, which is two and a half times the allocation for 1997–98. Around half of the 2001–02 allocation is being provided through new Major Repairs Allowance, which provides resources to meet the on-going capital costs of maintaining the council housing stock.
Birmingham are working on proposals for stock transfer. If this proceeds it should secure resources to enable catch-up repair work and modernisation work to be completed in 10 years.