§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many tenants in(a) registered social landlords and (b) local authority property in (i) London and (ii) Barnet will see their rents lower in real terms after completion of restructuring in 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20848]
§ Ms KeebleThe information is not available in the form requested. In particular, the rate of increase of actual registered social landlord and local authority rents over the next 10 years will depend, among other things, on the outcome of future Spending Reviews (for local authority 563W rents) and periodic reviews by the Housing Corporation (for registered social landlord rents). Moreover, individual landlords retain responsibility for rent-setting.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to adjust housing benefit thresholds and caps in the light of formula rent increases in(a) London and (b) Barnet; and if he will make a statement. [20841]
§ Ms KeebleRent restructuring will have no impact on more than 60 per cent. of council and registered social landlord tenants who received housing benefit as their housing benefit will be adjusted to reflect the changes in their rents. Furthermore, rent restructuring will have no direct impact on housing benefit rules for private sector tenants.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the effect of formula rents on housing benefit expenditure in(a) the UK, (b) London and (c) Barnet for (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20840]
§ Ms KeebleOur initial estimates suggest that the overall impact of the social rent reforms on public expenditure is broadly neutral, taking account of housing benefit expenditure, local authority rental income and the grant requirements for new developments.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to what extent formula rents after restructuring will be(a) inclusive and (b) exclusive of management and maintenance charges; and if he will make a statement. [20844]
§ Ms KeebleThe "Guide to Social Rent Reforms" published by my Department at the same time as the December 2000 housing policy statement "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing" stated that formula rents under restructuring do not include service charges for items such as management and maintenance.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many(a) registered social landlords and (b) local authority tenants (i) in the United Kingdom, (ii) in London and (iii) in Barnet (1) (x) are and (y) are not in receipt of housing benefit, (2) will become eligible for housing benefit as a consequence of the introduction of formula rents in 2002–03 and (3) will become eligible for housing benefit as a consequence of the introduction of formula rent by 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20842]
§ Ms KeebleThe number of tenants in receipt of housing benefit in May 2001 in the registered social landlord (RSL) sector in Great Britain was 988,000 and the number in local authority housing was 2,131,000. In the London Government Office Region 167,000 RSL tenants were in receipt of housing benefit, as were 313,000 local authority tenants. In the London borough of Barnet 7,889 local authority tenants were in receipt of housing benefit, but the number of RSL tenants in Barnet in receipt of housing benefit is unavailable. The other information is not available.
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