§ Sir Sydney ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason teachers in further education are not eligible for the Starter Home Initiative. [10231]
§ Ms KeebleThe Starter Home Initiative assistance available for teachers is being targeted on the compulsory education sector where the most severe recruitment and retention problems for teachers, which the Initiative aims to help alleviate, are being experienced.
We recognise that other key workers, including teachers in further education, need to be able to find affordable homes within a reasonable distance of their workplace. Our wider housing policies to increase the supply of affordable homes, particularly in areas where demand is high, will benefit other groups of key workers. By 2003–04 capital investment in housing will have risen to more than £4 billion compared with planned spending of £1.5 billion in 1997–98. We plan to provide 100,000 new or improved homes for low cost renting or home ownership over the next three years.
We are also looking afresh at planning guidance as a means of providing more opportunities for key worker housing.