Social Housing Sector Rents

HL Deb 26 November 2001 vol 629 c10WA

Baroness Noakes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 18 October (HL Deb, col. 707):

1. (a) when they intend to bring forward proposals to reform social housing sector rents; and
2. (b) in what ways they will then reform housing benefit. [HL985]

Baroness Hollis of Heigham

Our proposals for reforming social housing sector rents were set out in our response to consultation on the Housing Green Paper,Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing (December 2000), a copy of which is in the Library.

We believe that before considering long-term structural changes to the housing benefit system, it is right to focus on improving benefit administration and, where possible, simplifying the scheme. For example, from 2 July 2001 the definition of the single room rent was broadened to reflect better the type of accommodation available in the market to young single people. We are considering proposals for the further reform of housing benefit.