§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 5 February,Official Report, column 385, how many properties have been acquired in the Ealing, North constituency; what 80W information he has about locations and costs; and if he will make a statement on the criteria used for deciding which properties to buy.
§ Mr. BaldryThe information requested is not available by Parliamentary constituency. By Friday 5 March, the Housing Corporation had approved the purchase of 218 properties under the housing market package in the London borough of Ealing at a total cost of £11.48 million in housing association grant (HAG). Of these, 143 purchases had been completed at a cost of £7.6 million in HAG.
Details of the location and cost of individual properties are a matter for the Housing Corporation.
In giving guidance to housing associations about the eligibility of properties for funding under the package, the Housing Corporation stipulated that:
- (1) purchase must be completed by 31 March 1993;
- (2) properties must be vacant on completion and suitable for letting immediately to those in housing need;
- (3) properties should represent good value for money for the area in which they are situated, taking account of the Housing Corporation's current cost criteria;
- (4) if newly built, properties should have been actively marketed before 12 November 1992;
- (5) if repossessed, the possession order must have been granted before 12 November 1992;
- (6) properties should be selected, so far as possible, to take account of specific housing needs identified by the local authority for the area.