§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what bids for starter home initiative funding have been received from organisations in Worthing and Adur since the start of the scheme. [37131]
§ Ms KeebleTwo bids were submitted to help key workers in Worthing and Adur in response to the first bidding round for Starter Home Initiative funding. The bids proposed to help five key workers in Worthing and five in Adur and Horsham. Both bids were unsuccessful.
The Round 2 bidding guidance issued on 16 January invites bids by 14 March 2002 to administer the Starter Home Initiative equity loan scheme to help key workers in a number of high demand areas. Adur and Worthing are not specifically targeted, but bids are sought to help 33 police in Sussex.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason no starter home initiative bids from organisations within Worthing and Adur were successful in the recent round. [37132]
§ Ms KeebleSince the value of Round 1 bids far outweighed the available Starter Home Initiative (SHI) funding it was necessary to concentrate resources on the most cost effective bids in those areas where the need for the scheme was greatest. The main factors taken into account in making allocations were: the relative need for SHI based on house prices, incomes and assessments of recruitment and retention difficulties for key worker groups in different areas; and the cost effectiveness of competing bids. Taking into account all these factors, the two bids submitted for Worthing and Adur were unsuccessful.