§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has to allow the private finance initiative to710W be used for housing purposes; and what account is taken of private finance initiative projects in relation to the capping of local government expenditure. [12011]
§ Mr. RaynsfordLocal authorities are already developing pilot schemes for the provision of non housing revenue account housing under PFI. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing recently agreed to the launch of a pathfinder project for the use of the PFI in housing revenue account housing during the third reading of the Local Government Contracts Bill.Official Report, 8 July, column 831. In the context of the 1997–98 capping round, the previous Administration adjusted the capping regime to allow amounts of revenue support stemming from private finance credits to be spent. We will announce capping guidelines for 1998–99 later in the autumn. In the longer term, we have repeated our commitment to end crude and universal capping as soon as possible.