§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his response is to the Country Landowners and Business Association report on affordable housing in rural areas. [157531]
§ Keith HillThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister welcomes the Association's report and the contribution it is making to the debate about the balance between the need for more affordable housing in many rural areas and protection of the countryside. The report's recommendations mainly relate to the planning system and will be taken into account in finalising the proposed changes to Planning Policy Guidance on Housing (PPG3) which were consulted on last summer.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on affordable housing in rural areas. [157533]
§ Keith HillThe Government are acutely aware of the difficulties caused in rural, and other, areas as a result of shortages of good quality affordable housing. A comprehensive programme of action to address this, and the problems associated with poor housing conditions and low demand and abandonment, was launched by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister in1020W "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future" on 5 February 2003. This specifically recognises the importance of balancing provision of additional housing in rural areas with protection of the countryside.
The action to increase affordable housing focuses on improving the effectiveness of the planning system and the establishment of four growth areas to alleviate the overall housing pressures in London and surrounding areas. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also increased the target for new affordable housing provided in settlements of less than 3;000 people.
Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, is carrying out a review of issues underlying the lack of supply and responsiveness of housing in the UK. Her interim report published on 10 December set out the major analysis of these issues and the constraints that must be overcome to meet the housing need for this and future generations. The Government look forward to her final report, which is due later in the month.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of affordable housing stock in the Vale of York was on(a) 1 January 1997 and (b) 1 January 2004. [157534]
§ Keith HillThe available information in respect of housing provided by local authorities and registered social landlords is presented as follows for the districts surrounding and including the Vale of York constituency:
Social Dwelling stock for surrounding districts of the Vale of York constituency, as at 1 April Local authority1 Registered Social Landlord1
Total 1997 2003 1997 2003 1997 2003 Hambleton 0 0 4,648 4,601 4,648 4,601 Harrogate 4,806 4,074 1,375 2,151 6,181 6,225 York 9,497 8,406 3,064 3,819 12,561 12,225 1Figures for the number of dwellings in 1997 include self-contained units only, while figures for 2003 include bed spaces and self-contained units. Source: ODPM's Housing Investment Programme return and Housing Corporation's Regulatory Statistical Return.
§ Mr, HoyleTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the percentage of affordable housing stock is in the Chorley constituency. [158126]
§ Keith HillThe available information in respect of housing provided by local authorities and registered social landlords is presented as follows for the district of Chorley:
1021W
Social dwelling stock for Chorley district as at 1 April 2003 Number As percentage Number of total stock
Local Authority 3,271 7.6 Registered Social Landlord 3,011 7.0 Total 6,282 14.6 Source: ODPM's Housing Investment Programme returns and Housing Corporation's Regulatory and Statistical Return.
§ John CryerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average waiting time was in each of the last four years for a person to be rehoused in the London borough of Havering. [157322]
§ Keith HillInformation provided by the London borough of Havering showing the average waiting time for rehousing a person in the borough for the last four years is as follows:
Average waiting time 1999–2000 2 years 5 months 2000–01 2 years 5 months 2001–02 2 years 5 months 2002–03 2 years 10 months
§ John CryerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the waiting list figures in the London borough of Havering for old age pensioner housing were in each of the last four years. [157323]
§ Keith HillThe London borough of Havering have advised the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister that in 2001–02 the average waiting time for old age pensioner housing in the borough was one year and two months; in 2002–03 it was one year and four months. The boroughs' records for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 are held manually and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004,Official Report, columns 1650–51W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the (a) interest on and (b) capital of the £8 billion private investment he has planned will be repaid directly from public funds. [157291]
§ Keith HillThe new landlord is responsible for servicing the interest and capital of any private finance taken out as part of the housing transfer. No assistance is given directly from public funds.
§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004,Official Report, columns 1650–51W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the extra £8 billion private investment has been invested in arm's length management organisation stock (a) directly and (b) indirectly. [157292]
§ Keith HillTo date £12 billion of private funding is being used for the purchase and improvement of housing stock that has been transferred into the ownership of Registered Social Landlords. None of it is available for investment in stock owned by local authorities and managed by Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs). My answer of 12 February indicated that £900 million of public funding has so far been allocated for this latter purpose.
§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004,Official Report, columns 1650–51W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the nearly £900 million of public funding to bring homes up to the Decent Homes 1022W standard is additional to what would have been available had the he using stock remained under local authority management control. [157293]
§ Keith HillAll of the £900 million so far allocated under the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) programme is additional to the public funding available to all local authorities which own housing stock, irrespective of whether it is managed directly or by an ALMO.