§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many additional purchases of properties from the private sector by housing associations have so far taken place using the additional funding announced in the autumn statement.
§ Mr. BaldryOf the £750 million announced in the autumn statement to boost the housing market in the United Kingdom, £577 million went to the Housing Corporation to enable housing associations to purchase new, empty and repossessed properties in England. The latest figures from the corporation show that by 22 January approvals had been granted for the purchase of 11,812 properties: 11,746 of these are for purchases from the private sector.
871WAnother £20 million was made available to the corporation to support the tenants incentive scheme and £30 million to local authorities to support the cash incentive scheme, to encourage housing association and local authority tenants in England to move out and buy their own homes. This is expected to result in some 3,500 additional first-time buyers.