HC Deb 01 May 1991 vol 190 cc229-31W
Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the difference between the target and the actual management and maintenance allowances set for the London borough of Southwark for 1991–92;

(2) what is the level of the total target management and maintenance allowance for the London borough of Southwark's housing revenue account for 1991–92;

(3) what is the actual figure per property for the London borough of Southwark's management and maintenance allowance for 1991–92;

(4) what is the level of the total management and maintenance allowance set for the London borough of Southwark's housing revenue account for 1991–92.

Mr. Yeo

[holding answer 30 April 1991]For any local housing authority, the allowance made in housing revenue account subsidy for management and maintenance in 1991–92 is determined partly by reference to a score that compares one authority's needs with another and partly by reference to their allowance for the previous year. By this means we are progressively introducing a redistribution, or targeting, of subsidy.

Final figures will depend upon statistics collected at the end of the financial year. The London borough of Southwark estimates that for 1991–92:

  1. (i) the allowance per dwelling would be £1,286.46 if calculated solely by reference to relative scores (£73,328,220 in total)
  2. (ii) the actual allowance per dwelling will be £1,051.27 (£59,922,380 in total), so that
  3. (iii) the difference would be £235.19 per dwelling (£13,405,840 in total).

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list(a) the target and (b) the actual management and maintenance allowances per dwelling set for each of the inner London boroughs' housing revenue accounts for 1991–92.

Mr. Yeo

[holding answer 30 April 1991:

Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 1991–92—M&M Allowances
Target allowance per dwelling if calculated solely by relative scores Actual allowance per dwelling after allowing for damping of redistribution
City of London 2,149.87 2,365.30
Camden 1,950.33 1,565.72
Newham 1,232.32 992.14
Hackney 1,459.12 1,200.02
Hammersmith and Fulham — —
Islington 1,572.98 1,087.47
Kensington and Chelsea 1,574.10 1,546.49
Lambeth 1,514.96 1,374.47
Lewisham 1,284.00 1,117.39
Southwark 1,286.46 1,051.27
Tower Hamlets 1,370.62 1,451.23
Wandsworth 1,394.51 1,197.93
Westminster 1,774.54 1,735.60

The above data were taken from subsidy claims for 1991–92 submitted by local authorities. The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has yet to submit a claim.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the supervision and management element of the target management and maintenance allowance will be based on calculated need rather than on past spend; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Yeo

[holding answer 30 April 1991]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to consult local authorities and their associations later this year on extending the system of targeted management and maintenance allowances to include the supervision and management component from next year.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the recommended figure per dwelling for the London borough of Southwark's management and maintenance allowance contained in his Department's research document "The Appraisal of Local Authority Housing".

Mr. Yeo

[holding answer 30 April 1991]: Although the system of targeting the maintenance component of housing revenue account subsidy management and maintenance allowance was based on results of a survey undertaken in 1987–88 into the condition of local authority stock, set out in the appraisal of local authority housing, the results were not specific to any one authority.