HC Deb 21 June 2004 vol 422 cc1233-4W
Tony Lloyd

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of the(a) Starter Home Initiative and (b) Market Renewal Pathfinders programme on the residents of Manchester Central. [179214]

Keith Hill

Between September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative (SHI) helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing serves undermined recruitment and retention of skilled staff in key public services. The SHI was available in London and the South East region and in some housing hotspots in the East, South West and West Midlands regions. It was not available to key workers in Manchester.

The Manchester Salford market renewal pathfinder programme is intended to benefit the residents of the whole of Manchester and Salford, including central Manchester, by creating sustainable communities through housing market renewal.

Tony Lloyd

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 Manchester Central. [179215]

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 200102 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Manchester's allocation for 2003–04 was £69.671 million and has been supplemented by the announcement of £125 million to be made available to the Manchester/Salford Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder between 2003–04 and 2005–06.