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26 Mar 2007 : Column 1331W—continued


Housing: Leasehold

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to review the marriage value on properties where the lease has less than 80 years to run; and if she will make a statement. [128102]

Yvette Cooper: The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 amended the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 so that marriage value would be disregarded where the unexpired term of the existing lease exceeds 80 years. For existing leases where the unexpired term is 80 years or less, marriage value is split 50/50 between the leaseholder and the landlord. We have no current plans to review the way marriage value is treated.

Housing: Low Incomes

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many
26 Mar 2007 : Column 1332W
affordable homes were built in each London borough as a result of section 106 agreements in each of the last five years. [124604]

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of affordable homes provided in each London borough as a result of a section 106 agreement in each of the last five years are tabled as follows. Figures include both new build and acquisitions.

Affordable homes provided through section 106 agreements: London
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

City of London

0

0

0

0

0

Barking and Dagenham

98

0

135

42

168

Barnet

25

59

74

111

66

Bexley

0

30

4

0

12

Brent

260

228

168

78

11

Bromley

4

188

11

191

138

Camden

22

39

9

128

133

Croydon

37

84

67

121

130

Ealing

66

204

225

132

284

Enfield

72

116

1

66

26

Greenwich

78

116

550

262

336

Hackney

(1)

302

(1)

(1)

182

Hammersmith and Fulham

0

168

381

300

57

Haringey

85

173

(1)

284

23

Harrow

37

102

105

78

122

Havering

95

65

32

53

76

Hillingdon

64

86

60

63

58

Hounslow

42

67

160

135

118

Islington

2

156

65

44

405

Kensington and Chelsea

11

59

34

0

66

Kingston upon Thames

25

12

18

153

18

Lambeth

86

147

332

257

224

Lewisham

0

39

0

55

232

Merton

22

58

12

165

37

Newham

6

14

86

8

388

Redbridge

177

194

180

53

323

Richmond upon Thames

42

9

104

167

2

Southwark

10

66

43

36

166

Sutton

26

57

9

135

195

Tower Hamlets

151

106

367

184

449

Waltham Forest

8

50

0

77

120

Wandsworth

39

80

(1)

59

102

Westminster

139

62

79

165

186

London

1,847

3,136

3,840

3,676

4,853

(1) Data are missing.
Notes:
1. Local authority areas do not always sum to their regional totals due to imputed figures which are only included at the regional level.
2. Figures include both new build and acquisitions.
3. Affordable homes include social rent, low cost homeownership and other sub market rental products.
4. Figures include homes funded solely or partially through section 106 agreements.
Source:
Local authority statistical returns.

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to classify low-cost housing developed by the private sector for non-social tenants as affordable housing for planning policy purposes. [128555]


26 Mar 2007 : Column 1333W

Yvette Cooper: Affordable housing is defined in "Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing" published in November last year. The Government adopted this new definition, which includes social rented and intermediate housing, because we wished to ensure that developer contributions were used to help provide genuinely affordable housing for households in need over the longer term. The definition can include homes provided by private sector bodies.

Local planning authorities should plan for the full range of market housing. In particular, they should take account of the need to deliver low-cost market housing as part of the housing mix.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the availability of affordable or social rented housing on political extremism. [129207]

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government is currently engaged in examining the means by which we monitor the impact of policies on cohesion and extremism, including those relating to housing.

The role of housing in contributing to community cohesion is one of several matters being considered by the independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which is due to report in June 2007.

Housing: Meters

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with colleagues in the Department (a) of Trade and Industry and (b) for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the inclusion of smart-enabled meters in new build houses. [128724]

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government has had a number of exchanges with colleagues in the Departments (a) of Trade and Industry and (b) for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to the Energy White Paper and the energy performance in buildings directive. The Government will set out their views on metering in the forthcoming Energy White Paper.

Housing: Prices

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average house price was in each Government office region in England in the most recent period for which figures are available. [128627]

Yvette Cooper: Data for monthly mix-adjusted house prices by Government office region are published as Live Table 592 on the Communities and Local Government website at http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/165/Table592_id1156165.xls. The most recent data for January 2007 were published on 12 March 2007.

Sub market sales including right-to-buy sales are excluded from the figures.


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