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3 Sep 2007 : Column 1658W—continued
Households: Greater London
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average age of household formation by (a) males and (b) females over the last five years, broken down by London borough. [153570]
Mr. Iain Wright: This information can be provided for England only as a whole.
Estimates of the average age of the main householder when his/her household was formed are set out in the table. The figures include households from all types of housing tenure—owner occupiers, social renters and private renters.
| Average age of main householder( 1) when he/she formed a new householder when he/she formed a new household | ||
| Survey year | Male householder | Female householder |
| (1) The main householder is the sole owner or tenant. If there are joint owners or tenants then the main householder is the person with the higher income. If the incomes are the same then the older of the two is the main householder. Source: Survey of English Housing. | ||
Housing
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of (a) social rented housing and (b) shared ownership and intermediate housing were (i) projected and (ii) started in each English region in each of the last three years. [115785]
Yvette Cooper:
The following table shows the number of starts of sites through the Housing Corporation's affordable housing programme and
starter home initiative for social rented housing and low cost home ownership including intermediate housing by region for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 and estimated numbers for 2006-7 and 2007-8. Starts on site are projected for each region and reviewed several times in the year.
The timing of developments means that numbers can fluctuate from one year to the next. Plans have been set out in the Housing Green Paper for a substantial increase in affordable housing over the next three years in every region.
| Starts on site by region (units) | ||||||||||
| Actual | Estimated | |||||||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | ||||||
| Region n ame | LCHO | RENT | LCHO | RENT | LCHO | RENT | LCHO | RENT | LCHO | RENT |
| Source: Housing Corporation | ||||||||||
Housing Corporation: Manpower
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff funded by the Housing Corporation are classified as without posts. [152545]
Mr. Iain Wright: On 30 June 2007 there were 14 staff in the Housing Corporation without a permanent post. There is a strategy in place to reduce this number to nil as the year progresses. All staff concerned remain effectively engaged in delivering key objectives set out in The Housing Corporation 2007-09 Corporate Plan.
Housing: Construction
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the 240,000 houses which are planned to be built per year by 2016 she expects to be built by (a) the private sector, (b) housing associations and (c) local authorities in each year until 2016. [150835]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 23 July 2007]: We have published a Housing Green Paper which sets out the Government's plans for the level of affordable housing to be delivered in the years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review, and the roles of housing associations and local authorities in delivering that.
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the regional distribution is of her plans to increase the building target from 200,000 houses a year to 240,000 a year. [151310]
Yvette Cooper: Government have made clear that improving the supply of housing is a national priority. There is pressure on housing affordability in all parts of the country.
We have today published a Housing Green Paper that sets out further details of our proposals. This includes invitations to local authorities to come forward with proposals for further growth points and views on potential eco-town locations.
The detail of where additional housing will be located is a matter for regional and local planning processes and functions.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many more dwellings will be built on green belt land as a consequence of the increase in building target to 240,000 dwellings a year. [153693]
Hazel Blears: As the Planning White Paper “Planning for a Sustainable Future (Cm 7120)”, made clear, and the Housing Green Paper “Homes for the Future (Cm 7191)” confirmed, we are committed to the principles of the Green Belt and will make no fundamental change to Green Belt planning policy, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 2.
There remains a general presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt. Development in the Green Belt should not be approved except in very special circumstances.
In 2005 less than 1 per cent. of all new dwellings were built on greenfield Green Belt land.
Housing: Cornwall
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing were sold to the private market in (a) England and (b) Cornwall in the last 12 months. [152105]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 24 July 2007]: The numbers of council homes sold through the right to buy scheme in 2005-06 by local authority area can be viewed on the Communities and Local Government website.
Figures for 2006/07 are not yet available.
Sales of homes owned by registered social landlords are monitored by the Housing Corporation through the continuous recording (CORE) system. Sales by local authority area can be viewed on the CORE website.
Housing: Energy
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of homes will require an Energy Performance Certificate to confirm the home's energy efficiency and to indicate its environmental performance by (a) 2010 and (b) 2020. [150612]
Yvette Cooper: An estimate of the number of energy performance certificates required each year to 2020 is included in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
Housing: Flood Control
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account is taken of land deemed unsafe to build on due to flooding risk within a larger development plot when calculating planned housing and population densities; and if she will make a statement. [150781]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 19 July 2007]: Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 3 “Housing” requires local planning authorities to identify specific sites which will deliver their housing numbers. In assessing what sites are suitable for inclusion in their plans, local planning authorities will need to consider PPS 25 “Development and Flood Risk” which ensures that flood risk is taken into account at all stages in the planning process to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas at highest risk. Sites which do not meet the requirements of PPS3 and PPS25 should not be considered as suitable for housing use.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will prepare and publish a guidance plan for householders on the action to take in the event of flooding covering
(a) the use of sandbags, (b) the use of skips and (c) insurance. [152878]
John Healey: There is already a range of guidance available for householders on the action to take in the event of flooding.
For example, the guide “Preparing for floods” is available from the Planning Portal (www.planningportal.gov.uk) and provides guidance to property owners on how they can improve the flood resistance of their properties. It is also intended for use by developers, local planning authorities and others involved in construction of new buildings, and renovation of existing buildings, at risk of flooding.
The Environment Agency has also produced specific guidance on the use of sandbags with the Local Government Association. However in many cases there are better solutions for protecting domestic properties than sandbags such as floodboards and airbrick covers. Guidance on preparing for flooding and flood protection products is available on the Environment Agency's website
Following the recent floods we have been working closely with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and have sent out information to flood affected local authorities on where people can go for free independent advice on insurance matters. Further information is also available on the ABI website and the Financial Services Authority website
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