House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 5 Mar 2002 (pt 13)

Affordable Homes

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new affordable homes were provided in the south-east in 2001, broken down by (a) housing associations, including rent and shared ownership, (b) housing benefit subsidy of privately rented homes, (c) right-to-buy resales, (d) local authorities and (e) sale below market value by private housebuilders; and what was the total number provided. [39560]

Ms Keeble: The available estimates are as given in the table.

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New provision of affordable homes in the south-east region 2001

Number

Registered social landlords⁽⁶⁾ 7,302

Right-to-buy re-purchases by local authorities⁽⁷⁾ 26

Local authority new build for rent 52

	Number
Registered social landlords⁽⁶⁾	7,302
Right-to-buy re-purchases by local authorities⁽⁷⁾	26
Local authority new build for rent	52

⁽⁶⁾ RSLs' (formerly referred to as housing associations) data represents new homes for rental, outright or shared ownership (including "off the shelf" purchases of properties built by private developers), and existing property acquisitions for refurbishment (including temporary social housing provision). Completions are recorded when the final tranche payment for the scheme is made.

⁽⁷⁾ Local authority acquisitions of ex-council properties under "Buyback" scheme arrangements.

Source:

Housing Corporation returns

DTLR P1B (quarterly) and P2 (monthly) housing activity returns

Information about the number of affordable housing units built without any form of public funding, eg by private housebuilders, is not collected centrally.

The number of private sector householders in the south-east, excluding those renting from RSLs, in receipt of rent allowance as at August 2001 was estimated at 90,000.

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the Housing Corporation allocation was for shared ownership in each year since 1997. [39562]

Ms Keeble: The funding for shared ownership through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in each year since 1997–98 to the end of January 2002 was as follows.

Shared ownership funding

£ million

1997–98 87.95

1998–99 86.59

1999–2000 51.49

2000–01 70.63

2001–02 ⁽⁸⁾41.85

	£ million
1997–98	87.95
1998–99	86.59
1999–2000	51.49
2000–01	70.63
2001–02	⁽⁸⁾41.85

⁽⁸⁾ 10 months

Funding fell in 1999–2000 because (a) the do-it- yourself shared ownership scheme (DIYSO) was replaced by the Homebuy scheme on 1 April 1999 (local authorities may still fund DIYSO through Local Authority Social Housing Grant); and (b) the Approved Development Programme was no longer subject to a national target for the percentage of expenditure allocated to schemes which help people into low cost home ownership: this allows schemes to be selected on the basis of local needs.

These figures exclude the Government's £250 million Starter Home Initiative which will provide 10,000 homes for key workers over the period 2001–04, mostly through equity loan and shared ownership schemes.

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will introduce a definition of affordable housing related solely to rental and shared ownership houses provided by housing associations and local authorities. [39561]

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Ms Keeble: There are no formal definitions of affordable housing within housing policy and we have no plans to introduce a definition confined to rental and shared ownership homes. We will continue to keep the situation under review.

For the purposes of securing affordable housing through the planning system affordable housing encompasses low-cost market and subsidised housing whether for rent or shared ownership. Local authorities are expected to define in their local plans what they consider to be affordable in the plan area, in terms of the relationship between local income levels and house prices or rents for different types of households.

We are looking at how the planning system can deliver more affordable housing, including through the proposals for reforming planning obligations that we announced in December.

Public Bodies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people from Warrington, North he has appointed to non-departmental public bodies since 1997. [39450]

Ms Keeble: As far as we have been able to ascertain, no people who live in Warrington, North have been appointed to DTLR's non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997.

River Safety

Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will report on progress in implementing the recommendations of Lord Justice Clarke's inquiry into river safety. [36669]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 230W. Further updates will be placed in the libraries at about six-monthly intervals and so the next one will be available sometime in the late spring.

Chiltern Line

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what timeframe has been agreed for the investment programme in the Chiltern Line; and what the timeframe was in the original heads of agreement. [39011]

Mr. Jamieson: The investment programme in the new Chiltern Railways Franchise Agreement will be staged for implementation throughout the duration of the franchise—as was the case when Heads of Terms were signed.

Rail Strategic Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 795W, ref 36451, for what reason this work was not carried out prior to the finalising of the 10-year plan and the SRA Strategic Plan. [39158]

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Mr. Jamieson: The contribution of assumed fare levels to the projected increase in rail demand is outlined in Annex A of the Ten-Year Plan Background Analysis. General elasticities in relation to fares are provided in paragraph 3 of this annex.

Rail Passengers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many passengers, on average, board trains each day at each station on the (a) LTS Rail Line and (b) First Great Eastern Rail Line; [38421]

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

Mr. Jamieson: I understand this information is available from the appropriate train operating companies.

Rail Industry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library the memorandum submitted to him on the future of the rail industry by Sir Alistair Morton in June 2001. [40203]

Mr. Jamieson: The information requested falls under exemption 2 Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Information.

Rail Investment

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the total public and private investment, not including public resource expenditure, allocated (a) in total and (b) for the railways to be spent over the period 2001 to 2011, at (i) today's prices and (ii) outturn prices as at (A) the launch of the 10 year plan in July 2000, (B) 1 April 2001, (C) 2 April 2001, (D) 13 January 2002, (E) 14 January 2002, (F) 22 January 2002, (G) 23 January 2002, (H) 29 January 2002, (I) 7 February 2002 and (J) the present date. [40307]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 4 March 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to Table A3 of the 10-Year Plan and a revised version of this table that was placed in the House Library on 25 February. These tables provide a breakdown of projected public and private investment from the original 10-Year Plan and reflect the £4.5 billion increase in public sector funding for rail since then.

No similar detailed breakdowns were undertaken at the particular dates mentioned. The investment profiles can be translated into today's prices by applying standard HM Treasury inflation assumptions.

Railway Industry

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last met officials of the RMT Union to discuss industrial relations in the railway industry. [37194]

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Mr. Jamieson: Ministers are in regular contact with the Rail, Maritime and Transport union on a number of transport-related issues.

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