HL Deb 19 October 1998 vol 593 cc127-8WA
Lord Dean of Beswick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What sums of money they have made available to local authorities and other house building agencies for house building, including the recent announcement by the Prime Minister of further money for difficult areas; and what is their annual target for house building. [HL3366]

Lord Whitty

Over the life of this Parliament, an additional £5 billion will have been made available for housing, fulfilling the manifesto commitment to reinvest set-aside receipts from the sale of council housing to build new houses and renovate existing ones. Most of this additional money is being directed through local authorities which the Government believe are best placed to take decisions on the balance between investment in the renovation of existing stock and the provision of new housing, taking into account local needs and priorities. The Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme has been increased relative to the previous Government's spending plans, to ensure that it continues to play a key role in support of new social housing provision, complementing local authority housing strategies.

The Government have also announced the provision of a further £800 million for the New Deal for Communities over the next three years, to tackle the problems of the most deprived neighbourhoods.

The Government do not have a formal annual target for house building. House building requirements are contained in regional planning guidance, which are agreed by the local authority regional planning conferences and are based on a range of factors, including household projections.