HC Deb 13 November 2003 vol 413 cc457-9W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent by each local authority planning Large Scale Voluntary Transfer; and whether this expenditure was within the guidelines set by the Department in each case. [138680]

Keith Hill

The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to ensure that section 106 agreements between local authorities and housing associations do not provide a perverse financial incentive to develop one and two bedroom properties at the expense of three and four bedroom properties. [138588]

Keith Hill

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 November 2003,Official Report, columns 796–97W.

Linda Perham

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what plans he has to ensure that housing advice reaches older people from ethnic minorities; [136657]

(2) what plans he has to develop proactive services for giving older people housing advice. [136658]

Yvette Cooper

Section 179 of the Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to ensure that advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness is available free of charge to anyone in their district. The Homelessness Code of Guidance, to which local authorities must have regard by law, states that advisory services need to be accessible to everyone in the district, and well publicised. The Code also states that authorities need to monitor the provision of advisory services to ensure they continue to meet the needs of all sections of the community.

In addition, the Homelessness Act 2002 requires local housing authorities to ensure that advice and information is available free to everyone in their district about the right to apply for housing. If anyone is likely to have difficulty in making an application without assistance, the housing authority must ensure that any necessary assistance is available free of charge.

The Homelessness Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has issued good practice guidance to assist local authorities in the development of their strategies on preventing and tackling homelessness in their area, to include information on addressing the needs of older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and the needs of homeless black and minority ethnic people. This could include, for example, specialist mediation services for older people who have to leave a family home.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has invested £2.5 million in 2003–04 with Shelter's National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS). NHAS is a secondary advice and support service provided by Shelter in partnership with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and has been supported by Government since it was established in 1990. This service is open to anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The Housing and Older People Development Group—which advises the Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on housing issues affecting older people—is looking into ways to develop and enhance advice, information and advocacy services nationally and locally for older people and their carers, to help them in making choices about housing, care and support options. The group is also looking at ways of sharing information across agencies and to support and advise the advisers.

As part of its work, the Group is also considering strategies to improving access to information about mainstream services for black and minority ethnic older people.

As part of the Government's Supporting People programme, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published a guide: "Reflecting the Needs and Concerns of Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Supporting People" for housing support service providers. This can be found on the Supporting People website address at: www.spkweb.org.uk/files/020429impreflect.pdf

In addition to the Supporting People main website, a special BMESpark website has also been developed. This brings together expertise and experience in responding to the needs and concerns of black and minority ethnic communities as part of the Supporting People Programme. The BMESpark website address is www.bmespark.org.uk.