HC Deb 20 November 2001 vol 375 cc217-8W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many(a) council and (b) registered social landlord properties, and what percentage of all properties in each case, in each region in England and Wales will have target rents above their actual rent at the end of the 10 year transition period, assuming that target rents rise in line with retail prices index over the same period. [14479]

Ms Keeble

Under the social rent reforms, we are protecting tenants by limiting actual rent changes to no more than £2 per week in any one year above the normal increase for inflation, even where this means it takes more than 10 years for actual rents to reach the target levels given by the reforms. Information on actual and target rents under the reforms is currently not available. Social landlords will only have completed their property valuations and calculated their target rents under the reforms around the turn of this calendar year.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many(a) council and (b) RSL properties, and what proportion of the total stock in each case, in each region in England and Wales will see (i) a reduction in their target rent as against their current rent, (ii) an increase in their target rent as against their current rents of under £10, (iii) an increase in their target rents as against their current rents of £10-£20, (iv) an increase in their target rents as against their current actual rents of £20-£30, (v) an increase in their target rents as against their current rents of £30-£50 and (vi) above £50 under the Government's rent restructuring proposals. [14478]

Ms Keeble

The information is currently not available. Social landlords will only have completed their property valuations and calculated their target rents under the reforms around the end of this calendar year.

Mr. Coleman

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the percentage of(a) council and (b) RSL tenants in London whose rents will rise as a consequence of the introduction of the target rents set as a consequence of the introduction of the rent restructuring proposals. [14521]

Ms Keeble

Our initial estimates were based on the English House Condition Survey database and information from landlords' statistical returns. At a national level, in April 2000 terms, they suggested the restructuring formula leads to increases in rents for around 53 per cent. of council tenants and 52 per cent. of RSL tenants. Equivalent figures have not been produced at the level of individual regions to avoid problems from small sample sizes.