HC Deb 10 February 1997 vol 290 cc81-2W
Mr. Austin Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on how many occasions the Housing Corporation has intervened to ensure that a housing association complied with the tenant's guarantee; and if he will list the associations concerned and the year in which the Housing Corporation intervened; [15168]

(2) how many tenants have exercised the tenant's guarantee in each year since it was introduced. [15167]

Mr. Curry

The tenant's guarantee contains statutory guidance on the management of accommodation by registered social landlords—RSLs. It includes the statutory rights that their tenants, leaseholders and residents should enjoy. Landlords are required to comply with the tenant's guarantee as part of the Housing Corporation's overall performance standards for housing management. Failures attributable to non-compliance with the tenant's guarantee are not separately identified. The corporation may intervene if landlords do not comply with the overall standards. The corporation's annual regulation report 1995–96, a copy of which will be placed in the Library, provides information about the number of RSLs that failed to meet the overall standards and the various measures taken by the corporation.

Mr. Austin-Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenants exercised their rights under the rent-to-mortgage scheme in each year since its introduction. [15165]

Mr. Curry

Latest information on rent-to-mortgage activity in England since the introduction of the scheme in October 1993 is given in the table.

Claims Acceptances Sales
October 1993—March 1994 152 19
1994–95 738 89 12
1995–96 408 41 8
April—September 1996 176 15 3

The figures to March 1994 and for all sales are of reported activity only as no estimates were made for non-responding authorities in either grouping; the figures cover around 90 per cent. of authorities.