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26 Mar 2007 : Column 1333W—continued
Housing: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors were taken into account when deciding that Supporting People agencies should be able to require efficiency savings of home improvement agencies. [127545]
Mr. Woolas: Individual Supporting People administering authorities, not “Supporting People agencies”, are responsible for the local delivery of Supporting People services including Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs). Authorities manage this by establishing contracts with service providers, and they are responsible for managing their funding and so for delivering on any efficiencies that are required.
Communities and Local Government is developing a Supporting People national value improvement programme from 2008 in which all Supporting People authorities will be encouraged to adopt improved commissioning and procurement practices to help to further improve overall value for money in the provision of all services.
Housing: Standards
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many arm’s length management organisations (ALMOs) managed residential properties have been brought up to the Decent Homes Standard since the start of the ALMOs programme in April 2002; and how many were brought up to that standard in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [126472]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 14 March 2007]: The following table, based on returns from local authorities and ALMOs, shows the number of dwellings managed on behalf of the council by ALMOs which have been made decent in each year since 2002-03.
| Number of homes made decent by ALMOs | |
| Dwellings | |
| (1)Forecast. | |
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residents of arm’s length management organisations (ALMOs) managed residential properties have lived in homes brought up to the Decent Homes Standard (a) since the start of the ALMOs programme in April 2002 and (b) in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [126474]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 14 March 2007]: Communities and Local Government does not currently collect specific returns on residents whose homes, managed on behalf of the council by ALMOs, have been brought up to the Decent Homes Standard.
However, by using an average number of people per council home we can estimate the following figures.
| Number of residents living in homes made decent by ALMO s | |
| Residents | |
| (1) Forecast. | |
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on how its village agent workforce can work in tandem with home improvement agencies. [128057]
James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
Extensive discussions have taken place and the village agent workforce is already working in tandem with home improvement agencies.
Village agents have strong links with the HIAs, building on their association with the community and adult care helpdesk and its FASTtrack minor adaptations service. The links between the organisations work in two directions as the HIA will also contact the adult helpdesk if they feel that a person who has been referred to them from another area would benefit from the assistance of the adult helpdesk and village agent if applicable.
There are already results covering a range of referrals covering a wide band of HIA services.
Housing: Waiting Lists
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were registered on local authority housing waiting lists in (a) each English region and (b) each London local authority in 2006; and what the percentage change was on the previous year in each case. [128671]
Yvette Cooper: Information is available on numbers of households rather than people. The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in (a) each English region (b) each London local authority; and the percentage change on the previous year is given in the following tables.
| (b) Number of households on waiting list by London local authority, as reported by local authorities | |||
| 2005 | 2006 | Percentage change on previous year | |
| Note: As reported by local authorities. Source: Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA) | |||
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