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3 Sep 2007 : Column 1666W—continued
Housing: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were built in each year since 1997 in each Leeds parliamentary constituency, broken down by those built (a) to buy, (b) to rent privately, (c) as part of housing associations and (d) by local authorities. [148650]
Yvette Cooper: Information on new house building is collected at local authority level only. The numbers of new homes built in Leeds local authority area are tabulated. It is not possible to distinguish between owner occupied and private rent. The numbers of affordable homes built for Registered Social Landlords are for social rent or intermediate housing (e.g. low cost home ownership). The local authority figures are new build for social rent.
Not all affordable housing supply is through new build completions, supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. Between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2006 there were an additional 637 affordable homes supplied by Registered Social Landlords, on behalf of Leeds local authority, which are not shown in the table. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
| House building completions: Leeds | ||||
| All private sector completions( 1) | Registered Social Landlord( 2 ) (affordable) | Local authority( 1) (social rent) | Total new build completions | |
| Sources: (1) P2 house building returns from local authorities and National House-Building Council. (2) Housing Corporation. | ||||
Housing: Low Incomes
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of accommodation for key workers were (a) provided and (b) unoccupied in each year for which figures are available. [138752]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 22 May 2007]: The Government offer housing assistance to key workers under the Key Worker Living (KWL) scheme in areas experiencing severe recruitment and retention
difficulties. Key Worker Living funding is divided between Open Market HomeBuy (equity loans to purchase properties on the open market) and new build products such as New Build HomeBuy (shared ownership of newly built homes) and intermediate rent (newly built homes where the rent is set at a level between that charged by social and private landlords).
As at March 2007, 5,845 newly built homes had been made available for key workers only in London, South East and Eastern regions through the Key Worker Living programme, of which 4,577 have been sold/let with a further 268 under offer. Of the 1,000 homes
currently being marketed to key workers, 800 of these have been completed only in the last three months and a further 200 homes have been marketed for three to six months. It normally takes between three and six months to market and sell a unit. None of the properties currently available for key workers have remained unsold for more than six months.
The number of newly built homes only available for, and sold or let to, key workers since the launch of KWL in 2004 is provided in the following table. We do not have the figures requested on an annual basis.
| Programme | Available to KWs only | Unoccupied (marketed) for three months or less | Unoccupied (marketed) for between three and six months | Under offer | Sold/let to key workers |
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what liability tenants with an equity stake under the Social Homebuy scheme have to meet all or part of the costs of repairs for that dwelling; [145527]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effect on the take-up rate of the Social Homebuy scheme of tenants purchasing an equity stake assuming financial responsibility for all maintenance costs; [145139]
(3) what liability a tenant has for freehold-related maintenance costs if they purchase an equity stake in a leasehold property under the Social Homebuy scheme. [145149]
Yvette Cooper: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member on 30 April 2007, Official Report, column 1518W.
Housing association and local authority tenants who purchase a share in a house are responsible for all repairs and redecoration both internally and externally. Purchasers buying a share in a flat will be responsible for internal repairs and will contribute a share of the costs incurred by their landlord in maintaining the building and common parts. Details are set out in their shared ownership lease.
The Social HomeBuy pilot scheme is running until March 2008 and is subject to an ongoing independent evaluation. Initial indications from early participants are that responsibility for all maintenance may contribute to affordability and sustainability issues, particularly for tenants purchasing smaller shares. The Government are exploring various options for improving affordability for tenants.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes were built in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) England in each year since 1997; and what percentage this represented of all houses built in each area and year. [147703]
Yvette Cooper: Information is not readily available in the format requested.
The numbers of new build completions are shown in table A and the total supply of affordable housing is shown in table B. Since affordable housing provision includes new build and acquisitions they are not directly comparable with the total new build only figures used in this draft and it would not be appropriate to calculate percentages.
Cornwall is defined as the local districts of Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, Restormel and the Isles of Scilly.
| A: Total New Build completions in England, South West and Cornwall local authorities | |||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
| Source: P2 Housing building returns as reported by local authorities | |||||||||
| B: Affordable Housing Provision (New Build and Acquisitions) in England, South West and Cornwall local authorities | |||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
| Source: Statistical returns from local authorities, Housing Corporation | |||||||||
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Government has to increase the supply of affordable housing in places where the cost of housing is relatively high. [148787]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 12 July 2007]: The Prime Minister has announced plans to raise the annual housing supply target for 2016 from 200,000 to 240,000 additional homes a year.
We have published a Housing Green Paper that sets out further details of our proposals, including Government’s plans for the level of affordable housing to be delivered in the years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The detail of where additional affordable housing will be located is a matter for regional and local planning processes and functions.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will hold discussions with church authorities on the potential sale of church land for affordable housing. [149469]
Yvette Cooper: Officials would be happy to enter into discussions with church authorities about the potential for the development of affordable housing on their vacant or surplus sites.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to provide regeneration funding to allow local authorities to (a) acquire existing and (b) build new affordable housing for rent; what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject; and if she will make a statement. [149796]
Yvette Cooper: Proposals to increase the supply of affordable housing were set out in the Housing Green Paper. These include proposals to strengthen the role of local authorities in meeting local housing needs.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) of 6 June 2007, Official Report, column 535W, on housing: low incomes, if she will (a) encourage and (b) help facilitate local authorities to increase the number of social rented homes they provide directly; and if she will make a statement. [149950]
Yvette Cooper: Proposals to increase the supply of social rented homes are set out in the Housing Green Paper. These include proposals to strengthen the role of local authorities in meeting local housing needs.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase the availability of affordable housing in (a) Suffolk and (b) the East of England. [150540]
Yvette Cooper: In 2006-07 we delivered the following number of affordable homes:
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
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