§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce incentives to increase the number of conversions and renovations of buildings for domestic habitation. [31335]
§ Mr. RaynsfordUnder the Capital Receipts Initiative, we have taken action to make nearly £800 million of additional resources available to local authorities in England in 1997–98 and 1998–99 for investment in housing and housing-related regeneration schemes. About 80 per cent. of capital allocations under the Initiative in 1998–99 are expected to be invested in existing public and private sector housing.
The Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme also provides funding to registered social landlords to carry out conversion and renovation work to existing housing. In 1998–99, over £130 million is being allocated to be spent in this way from the Approved Development Programme.
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions made a statement to the House on Monday 23 February 1998, Official Report, columns 21–25, outlining the Government's preferred options for handling the issue of household growth. That statement reaffirmed our commitment to developing strategies for sustainable patterns of development which make the maximum use of previously developed land and better use of existing homes. It also gave a commitment to consider whether various economic instruments could sensibly be developed to help achieve our policy objectives.
Future levels of investment in housing are being considered as part of our Comprehensive Spending Review.