§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Community Housing Task Force has yet been integrated within the Government office network; how many of its staff are(a) civil servants and (b) consultants; and what services they provide to local authorities whose tenants have voted to reject the Government's three options for council house privatisation. [174661]
§ Keith HillFrom 1 June, the Task Force advisers will be allocated to their respective Government office regions and will fall under the line management of their respective Government office housing directors. The practical arrangements are being agreed and formalised.
There are 13 civil servants on fixed term contracts and three on secondments arrangements from local authorities and the National Housing Federation. There are no consultants working in the task force.
Where tenants have rejected the options to deliver the decent homes target, the Community Housing Task Force will continue to support local authorities and its tenants to investigate other options within the decent home policy framework to achieve decent homes by 2010.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) for what reasons North East Lincolnshire was not granted the full sum for gap funding for its housing transfer for which it had applied; what assessment he has made of the effect this has on the business plans for the new housing association; and what plans he has to make supplementary gap funding available to North East Lincolnshire under the new arrangements for gap funding for areas of negative equity; [174500]
(2) whether the supplementary gap funding he announced in the week beginning 10 May for housing transfers in areas with negative equity will be made available to North East Lincolnshire. [174663]
§ Keith HillNorth East Lincolnshire sought £6 million, £2 million annually for three years, from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Housing Board transitional commissioning as gap funding to cover the negative valuation of its stock to enable its Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) proposal to proceed. The Board has agreed in principle to such a level of funding, with years two and three subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. It has invited the Council to submit a final proposal by 4 June 2004 with 1281W a view to the Board making its final decision on 14 July 2004. Discussions will take place with the Board as to whether there is merit for their commitment to be absorbed within the central gap funding arrangements.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what councils, how many houses and how much land have been admitted to the Stock Transfer programme for each year since 2002–03; how many applied for inclusion; and what assessment he has made of what this means for future financing of councils which submit proposals by his deadline of July 2005. [174655]
§ Keith HillThe following lists and tables show those councils which have applied for and/or been granted places on the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) programmes since 2002 and also the number of dwellings involved.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold information on how much land has been involved in stock transfer.
Local authorities transferring their housing stock under the LSVT programmes will have no impact on the future financing of social housing in other local authorities.
Names of local authorities granted places on LSVT programmes since 2002: 2002 programme
- Amber Valley
- Bromsgrove
- Cannock Chase
- Cherwell
- Forest of Dean
- London Borough of Ealing
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Islington
- London Borough of Southwark
- Liverpool County Council
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Manchester City Council
- Middlesbrough Council
- North Hertfordshire
- Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Rushcliffe Borough Council
- Scarborough Borough Council
- Sheffield City Council
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
- South Norfolk Council
- Stockport
- Teignbridge
- Worcester.
2003 programme
- Copeland
- Forest Heath District Council
- Hartlepool Borough Council
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- London Borough of Hackney London
- Borough of Islington
- London Borough of Lambeth
1282W - London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Manchester City Council
- Middlesbrough
- North East Lincolnshire
- Peterborough County Council
- Purbeck District Council
- Royal Borough of Kingston
- South Norfolk
- Stroud District Council
- Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
- Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
- Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
2004 programme
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Ellesmere Port and Neston
- Halton Borough Council
- Hyndburn
- Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
- Lambeth
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Macclesfield
- Mid Devon
- North Somerset
- Sedgefield Sheffield
- Stafford Borough Council
- West Lancashire District Council.
Number of dwellings gr[...]ented places on LSVT programmes since 2002 Programme Number 2002 180,794 2003 123,543 2004 76,052 Names of local authorities applying for places on LSVT programmes since 2002:
2002 programme
- Amber Valley Borough Council
- Bromsgrove District Council
- Cannock Chase
- Cherwell District Council
- Copeland Borough Council
- Forest of Dean District Council
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Islington
- London Borough of Southwark
- Liverpool County Council
- Maidstone
- Manchester Council
- Middlesbrough Council
- North Hertfordshire
- Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Rushcliffe Borough Council
- Scarborough Borough Council
- Sheffield County Council
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
1283W - South Norfolk Council
- Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
- Teignbridge District Council
- Worcester.
2003 programme
- Forest Heath District Council
- Hartlepool Borough Council
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Islington
- London Borough of Lambeth
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Manchester City Council
- Middlesbrough
- North East Lincolnshire
- Peterborough County Council
- Purbeck District Council
- Royal Borough of Kingston
- Stroud District Council
- Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
- Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
- Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
2004 programme
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Copeland
- Ellesmere Port and Neston
- Halton Borough Council
- Hyndburn
- Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
- Lambeth
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Macclesfield
- Manchester City Council
- Mid Devon
- North Norfolk
- North Somerset
- Preston
- Sedgefield Sheffield
- Stafford Borough Council
- Teesdale
- West Lancashire District Council
Number of dwellings applying for places on LSVT programmes since 2002 Programme Number 2002 180,794 2003 125,806 2004 115,063
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) support, (b) advice and (c) guidance his officials have provided to North East Lincolnshire in connection with its campaign for the large-scale voluntary transfer of its housing stock; what estimate he has made of the cost of (i) staff time, (ii) travel and (iii) other expenditure in connection with such support, advice and guidance; and how much of that cost is payable by North East Lincolnshire. [174549]
1284W
§ Keith HillAs with any local authority on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Disposals Programme, North East Lincolnshire council have discussed their stock transfer proposals with officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at each stage of the process, including seeking advice and guidance on all public consultation material. We make no specific estimate of the cost of staff time, travel or other expenditure in connection with the giving of support, advice or guidance to any particular local authority. No payment has been made by the council for any advice or support.