§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made with the national mobility scheme.
§ Mr. StanleyI recently met the chairman of housing committees of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, the Association of District Councils, the London Boroughs' Association and the Greater London Council. We reached agreement on the form of the national mobility scheme to which I referred in my statement of 6 March last year and which has since been developed in a joint working group. The scheme will start on 1 April 1981.
The scheme will be open to all district and borough councils, new town development corporations and housing associations.
The local authority associations are now inviting all their member authorities to confirm as soon as possible that they will participate. In at least 20 counties the authorities have already agreed arrangements for moves between districts in the same county. A small office is now being set up to work out the procedures for moves across county boundaries and to promote the scheme generally. My right hon. Friend has agreed initially to meet the cost of the office's work through grants under section 46 of the Housing Act 1980.
The office will be headed by Mr. Ben Affieck—formerly director of housing for Milton Keynes Development Corporation. He will report to a joint steering committee of representatives of the local authority associations, the New Towns' Association, the National Federation of Housing Associations and the Department. This committee will be responsible for policy on the operation and future development of the scheme.