Housing (Hansard, 19 November 2003)

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been spent by each local authority on(a) arm's length management organisations, (b) private finance initiative and (c) stock retention in relation to ownership of housing. [138681]

§ Keith Hill
A table showing figures for 2002–03 the capital spend by each local authority, management and maintenance expenditure and the amount that is Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) funding is available in the Library of the House. The first ALMOs qualified to start spending in the final quarter of 2002–03, with actual expenditure for 2002–03 recorded at £55.9million.
It is not possible to provide information on spend for PFI schemes as the commercial position of schemes still in procurement must be protected. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has allocated a total of £760 million credits to 16 schemes. Two of those schemes are signed: Islington (£75million) and Manchester (£39 million). The other Pathfinders are Newham, Camden, NE Derbyshire, Sandwell, Leeds and Reading. The Round 2 schemes are Islington, Newham, Lewisham, NE Derbyshire, Manchester, Leeds, Oldham and Ashford.

§ 11. James Purnell
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on investment in social housing. [139317]

§ Keith Hill
Under this Government, total housing investment has more than trebled, rising from £1.4 billion in 1997–98 to £4.9 billion in 2004–05. Amongst other positive developments, this investment has served to improve nearly one million social homes to the decent homes standard already, and we expect to bring another 500,000 social homes up to the standard by spring of next year. Meanwhile, we are investing £5 billion in more affordable housing over the next three years—that is double the level of investment we inherited in 1997.

§ 15. Andrew Selous
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is regarding owners of ex-local authority homes who wish to sell them back to the local authority. [139321]

§ Keith Hill
It is up to landlords to decide whether they wish to repurchase homes that they have previously sold, having regard to local housing needs. But we know that some people who have bought council homes, particularly flats, have subsequently found themselves in financial difficulties. So since April 1999 we have helped authorities to buy back such homes, by covering 35 per cent of the costs they incur if they spend £50,000 per year or more. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are ensuring that similar provisions continue to operate under the new local government capital finance system that starts on 1 April 2004.