§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will give details of his replacement for the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund; [114415]
(2) what additional money will be available for the replacement of the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund next year. [114414]
§ Mr. Mullin[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Estates Renewal Challenge Fund facilitated the transfer of negative value council housing stock to registered social landlords. Where its housing strategy includes such a transfer, a local authority may now consider funding it through its main housing investment programme and, as my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning announced on 7 December 1999, over £2 billion has been allocated for local authority housing investment in 2000–01. The New Deal for Communities programme, the Single Regeneration Budget and the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme may also be used to fund negative value transfers.