| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 Oct 2007 : Column 848W—continued
Housing: Immigrants
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many A8 accession state nationals have (a) obtained a social housing tenancy from a local authority, (b) obtained a social housing tenancy from a registered social landlord and (c) have purchased social housing from either a local authority or a registered social landlord in each year since 2004; [155994]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007, Official Report, column 2129W, on Housing: Low Incomes, if she will give a break down by region of the number of social lettings let to foreign nationals in 2005-06; [156010]
(3) what estimate she has made of the number of foreign nationals obtaining general needs lettings in 2005-06, broken down by nationality; and what recent estimate she has made of the total number of foreign nationals who are tenants of social housing. [156250]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information on the number of foreign national households allocated social housing is collected in the Continuous Recording of Lettings form (CORE). These data are collected on behalf of Communities and Local Government and the Housing Corporation by the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St. Andrews. These data provide information on the “flow” of new tenants entering social housing each year, as well as the movement of existing social housing tenants transferring from other social housing properties. A question on nationality was first introduced for the 2006-07 data collection period.
It is not possible to breakdown the estimate provided in the answer of 12 September 2007, Official Report, column 2129W, on Housing: Low Incomes further. However, the final year data are scheduled to be published on the CORE website by St. Andrews university by mid November 2007. The link for the CORE website is:
The number of households headed by an A8 accession state national that have obtained a social housing tenancy from a registered social landlord in 2006-07 is 1,268 (based on provisional data). This is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 606. The link for this table is:
Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords but an increasing number of local authorities are now providing information as well. The number of households headed by an A8 accession state national that have obtained a social housing tenancy from local authorities completing CORE during the 2006-07 period, will be published on the CORE website by mid November 2007.
Currently, information on the number of A8 accession state nationals that have purchased a social housing property from either a local authority or a registered social landlord is unavailable. A question on nationality was only added to the Continuous Recording of Sales form for the 2007-08 collection period. These data will be available for the full year in the 2008 autumn period.
A breakdown of the number of social lettings allocated to households headed by foreign nationals by region and by nationality will be available when the full year data are published on the CORE website in November 2007.
Using the Survey of English Housing (SEH) data, the most recent estimate of the total number of foreign national headed households is 309,000, equivalent to about 8 per cent. of the total social housing stock. This survey information provides details on the “stock” of social housing, as opposed to the “flows” and “movement within” social housing recorded by CORE. The Survey of English Housing (SEH) introduced a
question on nationality for the first time in 2005-06. This information is available on the Communities and Local Government website, in Housing in England 2005-06—Table 1.31. The link for this table is:
Housing: Inspections
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) home inspectors and (b) domestic energy inspectors will be issued with official identity cards. [154179]
Yvette Cooper: Each Certification and Accreditation Scheme will issue identification cards to its members to use when entering a domestic dwelling to carry out their duties. Householders will have been given the name of the HI/DEA when the appointment would have been made for the inspection.
Housing: Low Incomes
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the ability of key workers in London to buy property in London. [155609]
Yvette Cooper: We do not hold data on the ability of key workers to buy property in London. Any such assessment would be for key worker employers to carry out.
We are doing all we can to help people on modest incomes into housing. Since 2004 we have helped just over 16,000 key workers into a home through the key worker living programme.
Key worker living is one element of the Government's HomeBuy scheme which will expand the opportunity for home ownership to over a 120,000 households by 2010. We expect 30,000 of those helped through HomeBuy to be key workers.
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to introduce the Key Worker Living Programme (a) in Weston-Super-Mare and (b) elsewhere in the South West. [155915]
Yvette Cooper: The Key Worker Living programme is focused on helping key workers in London, the East and the South East of England regions as areas with the greatest recruitment and retention issues.
The Government provide each of the nine English regions with funding for affordable housing and asks the regional housing assemblies (previously the regional housing boards) to recommend how the money should be invested based on regional and local housing priorities. All the assemblies were asked whether they wished to recommend allocating a percentage of their resources to help key workers and only London, the East and South East have done so for the 2006-08 funding period. The South West regional housing board recommended that key public sector workers providing essential public services should be one of the priority groups for low cost home ownership
assistance through the 2006-07 to 2007-08 National Affordable Housing Programme.
From April 2006, key workers have become eligible for all Government funded low cost home ownership schemes alongside social tenants, those on the housing register and priority first-time buyers recommended by regional housing boards around the country. In addition, 50 per cent. of homes provided through the First Time Buyers Initiative, being delivered by English Partnerships, which includes areas outside the South East are also available for key workers.
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further steps she plans to take to increase the supply of affordable shared equity and rented family homes in (a) Warrington and (b) other housing hot spots in the North West. [158419]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Housing Green Paper recently announced a 50 per cent. increase in Government investment in affordable homes; at least £8 billion will be spent over the next three years.
In addition the Government committed to deliver at least 25,000 new shared ownership and shared equity homes nationally each year, by 2010-11.
The Government Office for the North West is working with regional partners and stakeholders to develop proposals for a regional equity loans product. Although in its early stages, this demonstrates a commitment to tackle affordability issues in the region.
Furthermore, all housing providers have the opportunity to bid in the Housing Corporation's current investment round for affordable housing. Warrington has the opportunity to bid for Housing Growth Point status, with any bid needing lo demonstrate how affordability will be addressed.
Housing: Prices
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average sale price for a (a) one, (b) two and (c) three bedroom dwelling was amongst the properties constructed in each area that took part in the design for manufacturer competition. [156600]
Yvette Cooper: Construction of the homes on the 10 sites included in the Design for Manufacture competition is still ongoing.
However, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 26 June 2007, Official Report, columns
628-29W, and the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) on 6 March 2007, Official Report, column 1890W.
Housing: Renewable Energy
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to make changes to the Merton Rule on renewable energy in new developments; and if she will make a statement. [155745]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) today (PQ 155448).
Local Authorities: Audit Commission
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the indicators which the Audit Commission collects from local authorities. [155677]
Mr. Iain Wright: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 4 October 2007:
I am writing in response to your parliamentary question asking for a list of the performance indicators collected from local authorities by the Audit Commission.
Although we do have powers to specify performance indicators, we have not used these powers for several years.
However, you will be aware that the Government, through the Department for Communities and Local Government, specifies the Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs). The Commission collects this information on its behalf and analyses the data.
The attached spreadsheet shows the data returns we collect from councils. As you will see, some indicators have several sub parts and each of this has a data return. In summary we collect:
116 returns for Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPI) directly from local authorities via our electronic data collection system (EDC);
35 data items for BVPIs directly from government departments/national agencies as these are part of other returns such as the Performance Assessment Framework for social care; and
27 user satisfaction indicators which are generated by surveys carried out every three years, the last one being 2006/07, Authorities submit the survey responses via a website.
A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |