§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of local government housing repairs take longer than four weeks to complete; and what steps the Government are taking to encourage local authorities to reduce that period. [20976]
§ Mr RaynsfordThe information requested is not collected centrally.
The Government remain committed to the Right to Repair scheme, introduced for council tenants on 1 April 1994 as part of the Citizen's Charter initiative. This ensures that certain small, urgent repairs which might affect tenants' health, safety or security are done quickly, within 1 to 7 working days, according to the nature of the problem. The repairs covered by the scheme, and the prescribed periods in which the work must be carried out, are set out in the Schedule to the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994. If such repairs are not carried out by the council within the statutory period, tenants may be eligible for compensation under the scheme.
The Government are keen to encourage all local authorities to perform to the standards of the best in managing their properties, and are discussing with the Local Government Association and others how the new Best Value regime can be developed to achieve this.