Flats over Shops (Hansard, 11 March 1993)

§ Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment hat been made of the drop-out rate for schemes to promote increased residential use in town centres where the living over the shop database information has not been utilised.

§ Sir George Young
The flats over shops scheme is based on competitive bids submitted by local authorities. This Department does not monitor whether bids have been compiled using the local knowledge and experiences of authorities and their housing association partners or from information supplied by the living over the shop project or any other agency active in the field.

§ Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been allocated to promote the "living over the shop" project within his Department.

§ Sir George Young
Taking into account moneys provisionally allocated for 1993–94, some £113,075 has been made available by this Department and the Housing Corporation in support of the "living over the shop" project. The project has also received resources from other funding agencies and from its own income generation.

§ Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many properties have been made available as a result of the flats over shops initiative; and if he will make a statement about its future; (2) what representations he has received about the flats over shops initiative;

§ Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the value of the applications for funds in each(a) local authority and (b) region under the flats over shops initiative for England in 1992–93.
(2) how many properties have been made available as a result of the flats over shops initiative; and if he will make a statement about its future.
(3) what representations he has received about the flats over shops initiative.

§ Sir George Young
For 1992–93 we received applications worth over £41 million for the £5 million worth of supplementary credit approvals available under the flats over shops initiative. A list of all applications has been placed in the Library. The number of properties made available will not be clear until all end of year claims have been made. An announcement has already been made about the future of this scheme with 132 authorities receiving a share of the £10 million available in 1993–94. A further £10 million will be allocated for 1994–95. We are pleased with the progress made to date under this promotion scheme in an area which we believe has significant potential. We shall continue to review its development in the light of experiences to date and to this end have been in discussion with a wide range of interested parties.