HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 cc875-6W
Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to reconcile the difference between the data for starts and completions of housing association and co-operative dwellings published in Scottish Homes regular development programme announcements and those published in the quarterly Scottish Office housing statistical bulletins. [11928]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson

Scottish Home's development programme announcement bulletins contain information on planned starts for the following year. They do not give information on completions. For a variety of reasons. The number of planned starts may differ from the number which finally take place in any year.

Actual starts and completions are reported in Scottish Home's, statistical report. Figures published by Scottish Homes for actual starts closely match those published in the Scottish Office statistical bulletin series. There is, however, a known problem with the quarterly figures for completions which Scottish Homes provides for the statistical bulletin series. This is acknowledged in the publication. To remedy the problem, Scottish Homes carried out a major exercise in 1995 which produced validated completions data for several thousand dwellings. I understand that it plans to complete the exercise by the end of March 1996.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assumptions he has made on the level of spending by local authorities in 1996–97 under the former non-housing revenue account block; and what measures he proposes to put in place to monitor and to publish details of expenditure or repair and improvement grants and other forms of assistance by local authorities to the private sector housing stock. [11929]

Mr. Robertson

It will be for local authorities to decide the level of investment in private sector housing within the single allocation which they will receive in 1996–97 for capital investment outwith their own housing stock. Local authorities will be expected to take account of the need for such investment in preparing their housing plans and capital programmes.

Information on improvement and repairs grants approved by local authorities will continue to be published quarterly in the Scottish Office statistical bulletin "Housing Trends in Scotland".

Mr. McMaster

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discretion local authorities have to operate(a) voluntary and (b) compulsory contents insurance schemes for tenants of their housing stock; what guidelines his Department issues to local authorities on such schemes; and if he will make a statement. [12222]

Mr. Robertson

Local authorities are free to introduce arrangements whereby their tenants can insure their possessions under a block insurance policy arranged by the local authority. A number of authorities operate block insurance schemes. It is open to individual tenants to participate in such schemes if they wish to do so. The Department is currently considering whether guidance to local authorities on this matter is necessary.