§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what housing is being built for nurses employed in NHS hospitals in the Greater London area. [148312]
§ Mr. DenhamIn the spring of last year a housing co-ordinator was appointed to facilitate access to appropriate affordable housing for National Health Service staff in London and already some 500 units have been available.
An accommodation bureau has also been established and a database now exists containing all the units available. The bureau will enable individual members of staff to he made aware of what is available and to ensure that maximum efficiency is made of the accommodation we currently now access.
A number of bids involving some 7,500 new homes for own occupation for NHS staff have been made under the Starter Home Initiative Challenge Fund via the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. These are currently being evaluated and an announcement will be made in June.