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26 Jan 2005 : Column 437W—continued
Flood Risks
Mr. Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce measures to increase the resilience of domestic oil tanks to the risk of flooding on flood plains. [210924]
Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to introduce such measures. Pollution risks from domestic oil tanks have been addressed in the Building Regulations since 1 April 2002 and it would be premature to amend the provisions without the results of a survey of implementation starting later this year. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that the perception of domestic oil pollution risks is changing, and it is considering with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency what additional technical guidance may be necessary.
Government Grants
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) housing, (b) regeneration and (c) social exclusion scheme funding streams the Government has operated since May 1997; and which are still in operation. [209705]
Keith Hill: The following funding streams are currently in operation:
Homelessness (previously separate funding streams relating to Bed & Breakfast, Rough Sleepers, Homelessness Strategies and the Priority Needs Order)
Housing Bill Implementation (Home Buying & Selling, Landlord Licensing and Safety Ratings, Tenants Deposit Scheme)
Single Housing Capital Pot (includes Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Local Authority Supported Capital Expenditure for Housing)
The following funding streams have existed at some point since May 1997 but are no longer in operation:
The Government also fund the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. The Unit does not administer funding streams directly but does work with government departments and other stakeholders to ensure that a wide range of Government funding programmes contribute to the reduction of social exclusion.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also funds research on housing, regeneration and social exclusion.
26 Jan 2005 : Column 439W
Housing Associations
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish an annual summary for the next three years of planned improvements to housing association stock. [208485]
Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. However, Housing Associations supply the Housing Corporation with forecast spend on planned maintenance and major repairs, both of which may include works classed as improvements." The totals for these two for 2005–06 to 2007–08 are as follows;
| Total £ | |
|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 1,921,719 |
| 2006–07 | 1,886,966 |
| 2007–08 | 1,834,596 |
Housing Benefit
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of (a) council tenants and (b) housing association tenants are on housing benefit, broken down by local authority area. [210622]
Keith Hill: A table showing the percentage of housing association tenants in local authority areas in England who receive housing benefit in 2004 has been made available in the Library of the House.
Data for local authority tenants are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of tenants of (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities received housing benefit in each of the last five years. [210623]
Keith Hill: The following table gives the percentage of housing association tenants in England who receive housing benefit in the last five years.
| Benefit | No benefit | Unknown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 64.5 | 19.5 | 16.0 |
| 2001 | 61.9 | 21.3 | 16.8 |
| 2002 | 60.4 | 22.1 | 17.3 |
| 2003 | 58.1 | 22.7 | 19.2 |
| 2004 | 57.6 | 23.0 | 19.3 |
There are no comparable data for local authority tenants.
New Charter
Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether New Charter are (a) ensuring acceptable behaviour from tenants and (b) evicting tenants who do not behave in an acceptable way in Tameside. [210665]
26 Jan 2005 : Column 440W
Keith Hill: The Audit Commission are responsible for assessing New Charter Housing Trusts' performance on antisocial behaviour. Their latest assessment awarded New Charter the highest rating possible on dealing with antisocial behaviour.
Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to verify how far (a) New Charter and (b) Pioneer Homes have fulfilled the undertakings made to tenants in prospectuses issued on taking over council housing in Tameside. [210666]
Keith Hill: New Charter Housing Trust and Ashton Pioneer Homes are regulated by The Housing Corporation.
Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what redress tenants of New Charter Housing in Tameside have in the event of failure by New Charter Housing to meet its obligations on Rose Hill estate. [210667]
Keith Hill: Tenants of New Charter Housing are entitled to use the internal complaints procedure of the association. Should tenants be unhappy with the response from the association they have the right to lodge a complaint with the Housing Ombudsman who will investigate and where appropriate make recommendations.
Ultimately, tenants have legal redress against New Charter Housing for any significant failure of service. Where an association fails to meet the requirements of the Regulatory Code, the Housing Corporation will take action. New Charter Housing has also introduced a compensation policy to cover service failure.
Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make provision for tenants of New Charter to have a new ballot on (a) moving to a new housing association and (b) returning to Tameside council tenancy. [210668]
Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to make provision for tenants of New Charter Housing Trust to have a new ballot.
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