§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria he applied to the total indicative cost limit for housing association schemes in the London borough of Newham for each of the years commencing 1 October 1987 and 1 October 1988, respectively, and the appropriate percentage of dwellings planned which will exceed the Housing Corporation maximum permitted limits.
§ Mr. TrippierTotal indicative costs (TICs) are guidelines, not cost limits, and housing association schemes may be approved with costs above the TIC figures provided they represent value for money. The TIC levels derive from professional judgments of representative costs of providing housing to published standards in each local authority area. The Housing Corporation has discretion to approve new build schemes up to 30 per cent., and rehabilitation schemes up to 40 per cent., above the relevant TIC. No schemes in the London borough of Newham with costs above these discretionary levels have been referred to the Department for approval since 1 October 1987.