§ Mr. BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether she will outline her plans for the second stage of the interim measures introduced to stabilise the position of existing supported housing provision. [16903]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyOn 24 July 1997 I announced a two stage package of measures to stabilise existing supported housing provision and protect many thousands 139W of vulnerable people until a long-term solution can be implemented. The first stage of the package—amendments to the Housing regulations—came into effect on 18 August 1997.
We plan to introduce the second stage—the compensation scheme—shortly. This scheme will, where appropriate, enable local authorities to compensate landlords of existing supported accommodation where Housing Benefit has reduced because it was previously meeting charges for those highest levels of care which are outside the scope of the Housing Benefit scheme. The saving in benefit subsidies previously paid to local authorities in respect of these highest levels of care will be applied within Class XII, Vote 2, to underwrite the compensation scheme and will be paid on an extra-statutory basis.