HC Deb 12 January 2004 vol 416 cc569-70W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent action the Government has taken to promote sheltered housing; and if he will make a statement on the provision of sheltered housing in York and North Yorkshire. [145125]

Yvette Cooper

The Government is committed to ensuring that all vulnerable people receive the housing-related support they need including, where appropriate, sheltered housing and associated support services such as provision for wardens, to help them improve their quality of life by providing a stable environment, enabling greater independence. The Supporting People programme, introduced in April 2003, provides an integrated framework for planning and funding housing-related support services.

In February 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Department of Health and the Housing Corporation jointly published Preparing Older People's Strategies—linking housing to health, social care and other local strategies. Local authorities are encouraged to use it as part of drawing up local delivery and capacity plans for older people's services, which includes working in partnership with housing authorities. It stresses that older people's strategies on housing need to engage with and consult older people.

In York and North Yorkshire the following housing schemes for older people included in Housing Corporation programmes for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are being funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister through the Housing Corporation:

Stokesley, Hambleton: 40 units of extra-care accommodation.

Hospital of James Knowles, Craven: Improvements to seven units of almshouse accommodation.

St. Georges, Harrogate: 12 units of warden supported housing.

Swan Hill, Scarborough: Approximately 18 units of warden supported housing.

In York there are currently 595 tenancies in council sheltered housing schemes and a further 887 tenancies in the independent sector. Over the next year York council will be improving facilities in two of its sheltered schemes to provide the potential to deliver 78 extra-care tenancies.