§ Mr. Edward DaveyTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what internal and external research programmes and reports have been commissioned by(a) the Affordable Housing Unit and (b) the Planning Housing and Growth Unit since February. [81697]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Research Analysis and Evaluation division has commissioned, on behalf of the Affordable Housing Unit and the Government Office for London, three research projects.
1. Research aimed at helping to accelerate schemes involving affordable housing through the development process, in April 2002. ("Improving the delivery of Affordable Housing").2. Research on the potential to utilise the space above existing buildings in and around London and the south-east (such as garages and supermarkets) for mixed development was published in February 2002.3. Research on the potential for using fiscal measures to tackle the affordability problem was commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in late 2001, and published in September 2002.As with other parts of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Planning Housing and Growth Unit will be drawing on the departmental research programme which oversees a wide range of urban, housing, planning and development issues. The unit will commission additional research when necessary.