§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Environment if he has decided his policy towards the proposal by the Audit Commission in the report, "Managing the Crisis in Council Housing", for a housing staff college.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 November 1986, c. 46]: I agree with the Audit Commission that it is essential to improve the training of housing managers. A great deal is already being done by the local authorities, the Local Government Training Board, the National Federation of Housing Associations, the Institute of Housing and educational institutions.
We are providing studentships for two new post-graduate housing management courses at the LSE and Sheffield polytechnic and our intention is to extend this initiative to other regional centres.
I am not convinced that an entirely new body as the Audit Commission suggests, would be the most cost-effective solution. We are therefore discussing with the Institute of Housing and other bodies the best way in which the new grant powers in the Housing and Planning Act could be used in combination with existing resources to provide more effective training at all levels.