§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authority homes have been transferred since the inception of the stock transfer policy; what capital receipts have been received as a result of the stock transfer policy; if he will make a statement on the impact of stock transfer policy since 1988; and how much private finance has been attracted to the stock transfer policy. [13977]
§ Mr. RaynsfordSince 1988, 58 local authorities have completed 63 large scale voluntary transfers of all or part of their housing stock. These transfers have led to the transfer of over 252,000 dwellings, many of the tenants have benefited as a result of increased investment in their homes. So far, transfers have generated over £2.4 billion in capital receipts and raised over £4 billion in private finance for the acquisition, repair and maintenance, and management of the properties.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of(a) the capital repair backlog to council housing in each London borough and (b) the capital spending approved for the current year. [13495]
§ Mr. Raynsford[holding answer 3 November 1997]: Authorities' estimates of the cost of the capital work required to their housing stock on 1 April 1996 and the allocations made to local authorities in London for the current financial year under the housing improvement programme are listed in the table.
146W
£ thousands Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Estimated need for capital work to council housing in London Total capital work required at 1 April 1996 Housing annual capital guideline 1997–98 Barking and Dagenham 1130,848 3,944 Barnet 37,553 3,704 Bexley 24,226 1,485 Brent 49,013 8,002 Bromley 2— 1,329 Camden — 9,924 City of London 18,164 342 Croydon 92,385 7,118 Ealing 70,642 5,689 Enfield 46,241 3,266 Greenwich 99,069 8,459 Hackney 495,000 12,451 Hammersmith and Fulham 78,457 7,325 Haringey 38,962 8,692 Harrow 40,981 1,613 Havering 91,394 2,144 Hillingdon 175,750 4,431 Hounslow 74,383 3,879 Islington 216,768 9,255 Kensington and Chelsea 35,029 5,519 Kingston upon Thames 21,999 1,570 Lambeth 938,443 12,308 Lewisham 164,744 10,086 Merton 21,523 2,322 Newham 207,562 10,394 Redbridge 23,993 2,335 Richmond upon Thames 91,742 2,059
£ thousands Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Estimated need for capital work to council housing in London Total capital work required at 1 April 1996 Housing annual capital guideline 1997–98 Southwark 3— 11,540 Sutton 160,155 2,058 Tower Hamlets 162,605 8,608 Waltham Forest 158,080 5,435 Wandsworth 77,980 7,429 Westminster 77,377 9,619 Local housing authorities are required to submit returns from which the data in column 2 is collected. Local authorities use different methods to produce their estimates. The figures in column 3 are net of allocations for renewal of private sector stock and for disabled facilities grants.
1Indicates that authorities were unable to provide precise information, but they were able to provide their best estimates of the need for capital work to their stock.
2Indicates that authorities have transferred their entire council housing stock to a registered social landlord and are no longer required to submit the return from which this data is collected.
3Indicates that authorities were unable to supply an estimate of the need for capital work to their stock.
The Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill provides the legislative framework for the Capital Receipts Initiative, under which the Government expects to provide additional resources to support local authorities' capital expenditure on housing. The Government plans in the current financial year to make available £174 million under the Initiative to local authorities in England.
Local authority housing benefits from resources provided under other programmes such as the single regeneration budget challenge fund and the estates renewal challenge fund. Local authorities can also use their own resources to support capital expenditure on housing.