§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future funding of housing co-operatives.
§ Sir George YoungThe Government fully support the housing co-operative movement, which, by the involvement of residents in the provision and management of their own homes, can play an important role, particularly in inner urban areas, but the funding of individual cooperative schemes is a matter for the Housing Corporation, or local authorities, out of the resources available to them. As for all housing association schemes, the Housing Corporation assesses schemes put forward by cooperatives on the basis of housing need.
The Housing Corporation also makes grants to cooperatives and other associations for training and advice under section 121 of the Housing Act 1980. A decision on the total level of such funds available for 1986–87 will be made shortly. In April 1985 we introduced the cooperative promotion allowance, a special allowance paid to co-operatives to meet the extra costs which their developments normally incur. This is to be continued in 1986–87.
The Department's urban housing renewal unit will continue to promote the growth of tenant management cooperatives, which will be among the bodies eligible for start-up, training, and education grants under a provision included in the Housing and Planning Bill.