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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1270W—continued
We do not hold national data on the proportion of rough sleepers who are male or female, their age group or ethnic background. However, there is specific data for London provided under the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) recording system. In 2007-08, for those rough sleepers in London contacted by services, CHAIN records show around 87 per cent. of rough sleepers to be male and 13 per cent. to be female. The breakdown by age is as follows:
| Percentage | |
Housing Associations
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether housing associations are public bodies for the purposes of EU procurement legislation. [239210]
Housing: Low Incomes
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of increasing the (a) proportion and (b) number of social and intermediate market housing units in the annual house building targets in each region in the light of recent changes in the housing market. [235975]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 766W.
Housing: Standards
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council and housing association homes met the Decent Homes standard in (a) 1997 and (b) 2007. [236709]
Mr. Iain Wright: Estimates from 1996 to 2006 and including 1997 are provided in the following table from the English House Condition Survey. There was no survey in 1997 and therefore figures are interpolated from within the overall time series, but this can be provided only for the social rented sector as a whole. The most recent EHCS data available is 2006.
All estimates are based on the original definition of the decent homes standard which incorporates the Fitness Standard as one of the four criteria a home must meet if it is to be considered decent. This definition was updated in 2006 to replace the Fitness Standard with Housing Health and Safety Rating System. However there are no estimates available for years earlier than 2006 based on the updated definition and estimates based on the updated definition are not comparable with those for previous years.
| Social housing by decency status( 1) , 1996-2006 | ||||||
| Local authority | RSL | All social | ||||
| Decent | Non-decent | Decent | Non-decent | Decent | Non-decent | |
| (1) Estimates are based on the original definition of decent homes which incorporates the fitness standard as one of the four criteria a home must meet if it is to be considered decent. (2) Figures interpolated from all results (1996, 2001,and annually from 2003). Figures can not be interpolated for local authority and RSL housing separately for 1997 because of changes arising from transfers between the tenures. Source: English House Condition Survey. | ||||||
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department and its predecessors have made of trends in standards of accommodation in (a) houses in multiple occupation and (b) the private rented sector in the last 10 years. [238424]
Mr. Iain Wright: Following research undertaken by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Department published “Evaluating the Impact of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Selective Licensing: The baseline before licensing in April 2006” in August 2007. The BRE is currently carrying out a review of the HMO licensing regime which will look at the practical implications, effectiveness and the impact of HMO legislation since implementation. The final report is due to be published in spring 2009.
The English House Condition Survey collects information on housing conditions and includes the private rented sector.
Since 1996, there has been substantial improvement in the number of non-decent homes in the private rented sector, from 62 per cent. in 1996 to 40 per cent. in 2006, based on the Fitness Standard which was the original definition of the decent homes standard.
The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating is based on energy costs for space and water heating, ventilation and lighting per square metre of floor area within each home, representing a measure of its energy efficiency. Since 1996, there private rented sector has become more energy efficient and the average SAP has increased from 38 in 1996 to 47 in 2006.
Housing: Thames Gateway
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the new homes to be built as part of the Thames Gateway project she expects to be affordable homes; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the current economic climate on that estimate. [235805]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Thames Gateway needs a mix of housing to be successful—from affordable starter homes and family units to aspirational homes—across the full range of tenures. The Government's aspiration is therefore for 160,000 additional new homes of all tenures from 2001 to 2016.
When the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan was published in November 2007, the Housing Corporation estimated that over the period 2008-11 it would invest in between 11,500 and 14,300 affordable homes in the Thames Gateway. Overall, delivery of social rented homes through the Housing Corporation are on trajectory for 2008-09. However, it remains too early, given global financial turbulence and subsequent market conditions, to predict outputs in later years with certainty.
Listed Buildings
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of section 54A of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1991. [238016]
Mr. Iain Wright: I believe the hon. Member may be referring to section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which was repealed and replaced by section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. This requires determinations under the planning Acts to be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The effect of proposed development on a listed building, conservation area or other heritage asset could constitute a material consideration. The provision ensures that heritage assets are given due consideration when planning applications are being determined.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations her Department has received relating to section 66(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1991. [238017]
Mr. Iain Wright: Section 66(1) requires decision makers, when considering planning applications which would affect a listed building or its setting, to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest it possesses. The Secretary of State has not received any representations about this specific provision and its operations, although it is common for people to make representations about specific listed buildings in relation to individual planning cases.
Local Authorities: Conservation
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of local authorities employed a conservation officer in each of the last five years. [238147]
Mr. Iain Wright:
This information is not collected by the Department, as staffing issues in local authorities are a matter for the organisations themselves, taking into account their local circumstances. In 2006, a survey by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation showed there were 757 full-time equivalent buildings conservation
staff. English Heritage are carrying out a survey to be completed by the end of this year, which will cover all historic environment professionals (conservation officers and archaeologists) working in local government
Multiple Occupation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from (a) voluntary organisations and (b) local authorities on amending housing regulations for houses in multiple occupation. [238091]
Mr. Iain Wright: The building research establishment is currently carrying out a review of the HMO licensing regime across all local authorities in England which will look at the practical implications, effectiveness and the impact of HMO legislation since implementation. As part of the review they have consulted a range of key stakeholders including local authorities, private landlords and tenant representatives. The final report is due to be published in spring 2009.
Multiple Occupation: Coastal Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effects of mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation in seaside towns; what estimate she has made of the take up rate; and if she will make a statement. [238419]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Building Research Establishment is currently carrying out a review of the HMO licensing regime across all local authorities in England which will look at the practical implications, effectiveness and the impact of HMO legislation since implementation. The final report is due to be published in spring 2009.
Information requested on the take up rate of mandatory HMO licensing in seaside towns is not available centrally.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on relationships between houses in multiple occupation and levels of transient and vulnerable people living in the principal English seaside towns; and if she will make a statement. [238420]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Building Research Establishment is currently carrying out a review of the HMO licensing regime across all local authority areas which will look at the practical implications, effectiveness and the impact of HMO legislation since implementation. Where appropriate, this will include impacts on areas with high levels of transient and vulnerable households. The final report is due to be published in spring 2009.
The Department’s report ‘England's Seaside Towns—A Benchmarking Study’, published in November 2008, includes findings on migrant workers (who form part of transient populations) and certain vulnerable households (such as disabled people and the elderly) in England’s 37 principal seaside resorts, though recent data were not available on their housing tenure in these places.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what controls are available to local authorities to manage houses in multiple occupation in the principal English seaside towns; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the use of such controls; and if she will make a statement. [238423]
Mr. Iain Wright: All houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in England that are of three or more storeys housing five or more persons forming more than one household are now subject to mandatory HMO licensing. Local authorities also have the discretion to introduce additional HMO licensing schemes to cover smaller HMOs where they have identified problems such as poor management standards and property condition.
All HMOs, regardless of whether they are licensable, are subject to management regulations. The regulations impose duties on the manager of the property to ensure that minimum safety requirements are met, the HMO and facilities within it are maintained and in reasonably good order and that fire precautionary equipment are properly maintained.
The building research establishment is currently carrying out a review of the HMO licensing regime across all local authorities in England which will look at the practical implications, effectiveness and the impact of HMO legislation since implementation. The final report is due to be published in spring 2009.
Non-domestic Rates
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been prosecuted successfully for non-payment of business rates in each of the last 12 months. [239213]
John Healey: The Department does not collect such statistics.
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