§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to prevent councils from using housing revenue account money to fund the administration of anti-social behaviour orders. [123286]
§ Keith HillThe Government have no plans to prevent councils from using Housing Revenue Account (HRA) money to fund the administration of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).
Local authorities use HRA money for the management and maintenance of council housing in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
When local authority landlords use Anti-Social Behaviour Orders to tackle anti-social behaviour relating to local authority housing, then they are right to use HRA money to do so.
Tackling anti-social tenants is a housing management function, and local authority landlords, because of their long-term commitment to their tenants and improving communities, are usually amongst the first agencies to know of problems. They must be responsive to the issues that local communities face and to ensure that properties do not become hard to let, as a result of crime and disorder problems. ASBOs have made an important contribution to reducing anti-social behaviour and enabling communities to get on with their daily lives.