Housing Renewal Pathfinder Project

HC Deb 07 October 2003 vol 411 cc180-1W

Mr. Pike

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the progress of each Housing Renewal Pathfinder Project; and if he will make a statement. [131415]

Keith Hill

On 6 October 2003 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced the allocation of £125 million to the Manchester Salford pathfinder over the next two and a half years for the implementation of its scheme (Official Report, column 16W). The Newcastle Gateshead pathfinder has submitted its scheme and it is being assessed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and by the Audit Commission who are independently scrutinising each of the pathfinder schemes. We will announce the outcome of the negotiations on the scheme once they are complete.

On present plans we expect to have agreed the remaining schemes by the end of March 2004, with the exception of the Hull and East Riding pathfinder which received its pathfinder status on 9 September 2003 and which expects to submit its scheme to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by October 2004.