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Pathfinders Programme

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evaluation of the Pathfinders programme has taken place. [139675]

Keith Hill: Individual schemes will be assessed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and scrutinised independently by the Audit Commission before resources from the Housing Market Renewal Fund are allocated.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shall be establishing monitoring systems that will enable us to see the effects of Pathfinder projects on both their own and neighbouring areas. In addition, we shall be evaluating the overall effectiveness of individual Pathfinders' approaches and the programme as a whole.

An evaluation of the Housing PFI Pathfinder programme has begun. The first part identified a framework for the evaluation programme. This is now completed. Following on from this, work is now underway on a baseline evaluation—the first phase of which has been completed. The findings can be found on

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the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm housing/documents/page/odpm house 609810.pdf.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in what ways (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry have benefited from Pathfinders. [139676]

Keith Hill: Both the North Staffordshire and the Birmingham and Sandwell Market Renewal Pathfinders are situated in the West Midlands region. Both have currently received funding of £6.66 million. This money is being used to prepare the Pathfinder's scheme and to fund some early interventions. The two Pathfinders are now currently in the process of preparing their strategic schemes to bid for resources from the Housing Market Renewal fund.

Coventry does not benefit from Housing Market Renewal activity because it lies outside of any of the nine Housing Market Renewal intervention areas.

Performance Monitoring

Mr. Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets. [137949]

Yvette Cooper: Performance targets for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister were agreed as part of Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of PSA targets forms part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's performance management systems. Performance management is an integral part of the day to day running of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and as such it is not possible to separate the specific costs out. The monitoring of progress towards and performance against the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Regional Assembly Elections

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he plans to offer advice and guidance to local authorities in areas subject to regional assembly referendums on the extent to which they can publicise their own views on the recommendations of the Boundary Committee on the proposed new local government structure in their area. [139033]

Mr. Raynsford: No—the rules on such matters are clearly laid out in the Code of Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

The Boundary Committee will be giving its recommendations wide publicity. Its reports will explain the views of those that made submissions or representations, including those of the local authorities affected.

Local authorities may, within reason, make known their views on a preferred outcome in a referendum. These are matters for the judgement of the local authorities affected but the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not believe that it is either necessary or appropriate for them to spend council tax payers' money on further publicity.

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Registered Social Housing

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what (a) guidance and (b) advice his Department published for tenants of registered social landlords, concerning (i) their rights in respect of consultation over demolition programmes and (ii) major policy changes; [139889]

(2) what (a) guidance and (b) advice his Department has published for registered social landlords concerning their responsibilities towards tenants, with particular reference to their responsibilities to inform tenants of their rights when properties become earmarked for demolition; [139890]

(3) what statutory procedures should be carried out by registered social housing landlords prior to determining demolition programmes. [139891]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not published guidance and advice to registered social landlords (RSLs) or their tenants in respect of consultation about demolition programmes and major policy changes. Section 105 of the Housing Act 1985 requires landlords to "maintain such arrangements" as they consider appropriate for informing secure tenants about any proposals for changes in housing management which will affect them "substantially". These "matters" should include maintenance, improvement and demolition. The Housing Corporation is regulator of RSLs and its regulatory code and guidance (published in "The Way Forward: Our approach to regulation" in January 2002) include requirements that RSLs must seek and be responsive to residents' views and priorities. RSLs are required, amongst other things, to enable residents to be involved in decision making and to provide information about its activities to residents. The regulatory code and guidance apply to all types of legal occupier, including occupants with assured and secure tenancies.

RSLs do not require consent to demolish property. However, they do require the consent of the Housing Corporation under section 9 of the Housing Act 1996 if property is to be demolished and the land is to be disposed of. RSLs are required to consult the field offices of the Housing Corporation about the need for any grant payment or re-payment in these circumstances.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what resources in terms of (a) funding and (b) support are made available by the Government to registered social housing landlords to rectify housing stock in need of a major structural repair. [139892]

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation has allocated £38.9 million in 2003–04 for works to Registered Social Landlords stock. This includes major repairs. The corporation, with the National Housing Federation, has issued guidance to associations covering all aspects of asset management, including how to deal with stock in need of major repair. They have also supported a number of seminars and other training events on this topic. Corporation regulators work with associations at risk of failing to meet the Decent Homes Standard on any of the criteria, including structural soundness, to ensure that all homes will meet the standard by 2010.

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Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the optimum size is of housing stock for stock transfers of local authority housing to a single trust or association. [139893]

Keith Hill: The Housing Transfer Manual 2003 makes clear that decisions on the number of dwellings transferring from a local authority to a new landlord will depend on local circumstances. A material consideration in deciding the number of dwellings transferring to a single landlord would be the number of dwellings remaining after any proposed demolitions. This supersedes the 12,000 dwelling guideline that existed previously.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is regarding housing trusts or associations created as a result of stock transfer ballots by tenants, in cases where they propose demolishing occupied properties without the consent of tenants. [139895]

Keith Hill: Tenants should be fully involved in all the stages of deciding how to deliver the decent home objective. This includes the option appraisal process, and, where transfer is the preferred option, the detailed development of the transfer proposal including the likely need for demolitions.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is regarding housing trusts or associations created as a result of stock transfer ballots, in cases where tenants demonstrate a desire to establish a new or alternative body to (a) manage, (b) own and (c) manage and own part of the trust's or association's housing stock. [139896]

Keith Hill: Increasing tenant participation is a priority for all housing transfers. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would expect any new landlord to be willing to consider any approach from its tenants to manage, own or own and manage their stock. However, in considering any request we would expect the landlord to consider the impact on other tenants, delivery of the transfer promises and the effect on the business plan.

Rural Housing

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the exception site planning principle for the provision of housing in villages. [140280]

Keith Hill: Current policy on providing for rural exception housing is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing, Annex B. The policy allows local planning authorities to consider including a "rural exception policy" in their plans where there remains a lack of affordable housing to meet local needs. An exception policy enables a local planning authority to grant planning permission for small sites for affordable housing to meet local needs in perpetuity, within or adjoining existing villages, which may be subject to policies of restraint. The current policy advises that it is inappropriate for local planning authorities to allocate particular sites for affordable housing.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's consultation document "Influencing the size, type and affordability of housing" proposes that the current policy on providing for rural exception housing is replaced by a policy that enables local planning

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authorities to identify sites solely for affordable housing, on land within or adjoining existing villages, which would not otherwise be released for housing. The consultation period officially closed on 31 October 2003, but responses after that date have been considered because of the postal dispute.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons the use of exception sites in rural areas is being replaced by a requirement for local authorities to provide a specified number of affordable units through application of planning gains. [140281]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's consultation document "Influencing the size, type and affordability of housing" proposes that the current policy on providing for rural exception housing set out in Annex B of Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: "Housing" is replaced by a policy that enables local planning authorities to identify sites solely for affordable housing, on land within or adjoining existing villages, which would not otherwise be released for housing.

The proposal seeks to address concerns that the securing of affordable housing through the current rural exception policy takes too long. The proposed policy will provide affordable housing in a more considered way through the plan-making process. It is anticipated that it will deliver affordable housing where it is needed more effectively and more quickly than the current policy.

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