HC Deb 27 April 2004 vol 420 cc879-81W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Burnley since 1997. [168312]

Keith Hill

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Burnley transferred its housing stock to Burnley and Padiham Community Housing in 2000 for £22.4 million. Burnley's allocation of £2.5 million for 2003–04 has been supplemented by the announcement of £68 million to be made available to the East Lancashire, Elevate, Housing Market Renewal pathfinder project between 2003–04 and 2005–06.

Jim Dobbin

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Heywood and Middleton since 1997. [168432]

Keith Hill

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Rochdale's allocations in the period 1997 to 2003–04 have risen by over 450 per cent., and have been supplemented by the announcement of £53.5 million to be made available to the Oldham/Rochdale Housing Market Renewal pathfinder project between 2003–04 and 2005–06.

James Purnell

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Stalybridge and Hyde since 1997. [168774]

Keith Hill

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Tameside transferred its housing stock to New Charter Housing in 2000 for £127.5 million. Tameside's allocation for housing in 2003–04 was £3.6 million.