§ Ms. Joan WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the retention of sheltered housing incorporating a warden service.
§ Mr. BaldryClauses in the Housing Urban Development Bill will give housing authorities the powers to provide welfare services for the tenants and account for the costs within the housing revenue account. These powers would avoid disruption to these services following a Court of Appeal judgment. However, our policy is that the HRA should be a landlord account, and our intention is that these powers should remain in force only until local authorities have had an opportunity to make new arrangements for these services. Before we take any decisions about changes to the arrangements, there will be full consultation with all interested parties, early in the new year.
The Department has received approximately 130 representations about this subject from local authorities, their organisations and others. The powers in the Bill for housing authorities to provide welfare services and account for their costs in the HRA have been widely welcomed. Many of them suggest that welfare services should continue to be provided by housing authorities as part of the housing service, or at least until local government reorganisation is complete. These representations will be considered along with those received in response to next year's consultation exercise.