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Gypsy/Traveller Sites
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the registered social landlords involved in providing and managing sites for Gypsies and Travellers in the West Midlands. [207982]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not maintain a listing of those registered social landlords (RSLs) that are involved in the provision and management of Gypsy and Traveller sites.
The Government have stated their intention to extend the permissible purposes of the Housing Corporation, which will allow RSLs to obtain funding for the development and management of Gypsy and Traveller sites.
Homelessness (Swale)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless people in Swale have sought help from Swale borough council since 2001; and how many homeless people are accommodated by Swale borough council (a) within and (b) outside its boundary. [208872]
Yvette Cooper: Information collected about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is in respect of households, rather than persons. The total number of decisions reported by Swale borough council in respect of applications made by households during each year since 2000–01, and the number that were accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need are tabled below. Also shown are the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation arranged by Swale BC as at the end of March each year, both within and outside its own boundary. Data are also shown for the first two quarters of 2004–05.
(11) Under homelessness legislation
(12) Decisions on applications from households eligible for assistance under the homelessness provisions of housing legislation. Excludes ineligible applications.
(13) Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting re-allocation of a settled home following acceptance. Excludes those households designated as "homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
(14) as at end September
Source:
ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly)
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After being accepted as homeless, a household will be placed in some form of accommodation. They may be placed in temporary accommodation, until a settled solution becomes available, or they may be given a settled solution straight away depending on the accommodation available to the local authority. As an alternative to temporary accommodation an authority may arrange for a household to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.
Some of the households in temporary accommodation were being accommodated pending completion of enquiries into their application, or awaiting the outcome of an LA review/county court appeal against the authority's decision, or had been found intentionally homeless and subsequently were being accommodated for a reasonable period as permitted under legislation.
Information is also collected, since 1998, on the number of people who sleep rough, that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. Swale borough council reported no persons sleeping rough in their district.
Quarterly Statistical Releases on statutory homelessness published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister include information on decisions, and households in temporary accommodation, at local authority level in an associated Supplementary Table. The latest Release of, 13 December, and previous editions are available both in the Library of the House and via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website.
Housing
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish regular aggregated information on the number of (a) social and (b) affordable homes planned by the regional housing boards. [208391]
Keith Hill: Decisions on the amount of regional housing pot funding to be used for provision of social rented and other affordable housing are taken in the light of advice from Regional Housing Boards. In announcing our decisions, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will set out details of the regional spend totals and estimates of the numbers of homes to be provided, indicating where this varies from the Housing Board recommendations.
Housing Stock Transfers
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will commission a study on the merits of
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a levy on the profits of registered social landlords benefiting from large scale voluntary transfers, to be returned as a bonus to the community transferring its council housing. [207806]
Keith Hill: Registered social landlords (RSLs) are non-profit distributing businesses. Where an RSL has any operating surplus following the receipt of local authority housing stock, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would expect this surplus to be used to further contribute towards the Government's sustainable communities strategy.
Living Spaces Programme
Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many applications to the Living Spaces programme are awaiting a decision on funding; [209009]
(2) if he will list the schemes in Tower Hamlets that have (a) been granted funding from the Living Spaces programme and (b) are awaiting a decision on funding from the programme. [209010]
Phil Hope: 340 community groups are awaiting a decision on funding having applied to the Living Spaces programme. These groups have had their initial application approved and have been allocated a trained "enabler" who will help them to develop their proposed project and draw up an action plan as part of the project assessment process. Following recommendation from the enabler, the project assessment is submitted to Living Spaces for approval and successful groups are then offered a grant.
To date, three projects in Tower Hamlets have been granted funding from the Living Spaces programme. They are:
The Escape! project, which has been awarded a grant of £5,000 to create a community garden and improve access to the Cedar Community Centre on the Isle of Dogs.
The Attlee Youth and Community Centre project, which has been awarded a grant of £83,005 to provide a play area and sensory garden as part of a wider development project to improve facilities at the centre.
The Bromley by Bow Community Park project, which has been awarded a grant of £75,000 to improve facilities at the park and create a welcoming, safe green space for the community.
A further two community groups from Tower Hamlets have applied to Living Spaces. These groups have had their initial application approved and have since worked up their plans with the help of a Living Spaces enabler. Once Living Spaces receives a final recommendation from the enabler a decision on funding will be taken. The projects are:
The Bio Diverse and Tasty Landscaping project, which has applied for a grant of £23,026 to create a community garden on the basis of sustainable living at Spitalfields City Farm.
The Safe Links to Living Well project, which has applied for a grant of £20,000 to improve access to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park by replacing neglected entrance gates with wheelchair-friendly kissing gates, and improve entrance areas with new planting.
Ross Cranston: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been spent in Dudley on the living spaces project in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; what the money has been spent on; and if he will make a statement. [208043]
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Phil Hope: To date no money has been spent in Dudley on the living spaces project. However one application for £25,000 is currently being processed. This is concerning work to the grounds of St. Thomas' Church in Stourbridge. The proposal is to improve access, seating and circulation, improved planting, the creation of a focal point sculpture and a welcoming new entrance feature.
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