§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of how the Starter Homes Initiative has affected the residents of Burnley. [168313]
§ Keith HillBetween September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing was undermining recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The programme was not available to key workers in Burnley.
The new Key Worker Living programme which started on 1 April 2004 superseding the Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers in London, the South East and the Eastern regions.
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homes have been made available within Liverpool, Walton under(a) the Starter Homes Initiative and (b) the Abandoned Homes Initiative. [166947]
§ Keith HillBetween September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative (SHI) helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing serves to undermine recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The SHI was available in London and the South East region and in some housing hotspots in the East, South West and West Midlands regions. It was not available to key workers in the North West region.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of an Abandoned Homes Initiative. However, our Market Renewal Pathfinders is a comprehensive programme to tackle low demand and abandonment in nine English areas, including Merseyside. The boundaries of the Merseyside scheme were drawn up following an analysis of local housing markets to identify those areas most acutely affected by low demand and abandonment. The integrated approach to spatial and economic issues being adopted by the pathfinders should bring substantial benefits to the wider sub-region.
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§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of the Starter Homes Initiative on the residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167464]
§ Keith HillBetween September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing was undermining recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The programme was not available to key workers in Manchester.
The new Key Worker Living programme which started on 1 April 2004 superseding the Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers in London, the South East and the Eastern regions.
§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evaluation he has undertaken of the link between the current level of housing construction and the time it takes to obtain full planning permission. [166900]
§ Keith HillThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises that good performance on planning including having up to date plans in place and an efficient and effective development control service are important to achieving agreed housing numbers although, as the Barker review concluded, they are not the only factors. That is why we are seeking to reform the planning system and increase its resourcing to drive improved performance in these areas.