HC Deb 03 November 1997 vol 300 c65W
Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total capital receipts to be released to each London borough and over what period; and what proportion will be spent on housing. [13496]

Mr. Raynsford

Subject to Royal Assent to the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill, the entitlement of each London borough under our Capital Receipts Initiative in 1997–98 and 1998–99 is set out in the attached table. These additional capital resources will be available to local authorities to support housing, and housing associated regeneration works. Final decisions about the application of these resources, however, will be for individual local authorities. Decisions about the release of resources under the Capital Receipts Initiative over the longer term will be taken in the context of our Comprehensive Spending Review.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total housing deficit for affordable housing for each London borough.[13497]

Mr. Raynsford

There are no official estimates of either the current or future housing need for London boroughs.

The Department has released estimates of housing need for England as a whole. In 1995 the Department released estimates of housing need for England which projected the newly arising need for social housing at between 60,000 and 100,000 units per year over the period 1991–2001 and research was commissioned in 1995 to develop an economic model of housing need. This work was undertaken by the Department of Applied Economics, Cambridge University (DAE). The report on this feasibility research is expected to be published later this year. DAE have been commissioned to undertake further research on the model including work to explore the possibility of regional estimates of housing need.