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26 Mar 2009 : Column 715W—continued

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many HomeBuy agents have taken part in the First Time Buyers Initiative; and if she will make a statement. [265069]

Margaret Beckett: All 23 of the current Government appointed HomeBuy agents have engaged with the First Time Buyers' initiative. The Government have appointed a single National HomeBuy Agent to administer and manage the post sales process. For example providing post sales advice to applicants, collection of fees etc.

Following a competitive tendering exercise to ensure continued high levels of service and value for money, the Homes and Communities Agency recently published a list of 15 organisations which will act as Local HomeBuy Agents across England from 1 April 2009. These HomeBuy agents will be required to engage with the First Time Buyers' initiative.

Homebuy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many people have applied for assistance via the New Build HomeBuy scheme; how many applications have been granted; and what the average level of support has been; [265021]

(2) how many people have applied for assistance via the Rent to HomeBuy scheme; how many applications have been granted; and what the average level of support has been. [265022]

26 Mar 2009 : Column 716W

Margaret Beckett: Information on applications for the new build and rent to homebuy schemes is not held centrally. Applications are processed and monitored by homebuy agents (appointed housing associations).

Government support are provided in the form of grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency’s National Affordable Housing programme for the building of the homes. The average grant per unit for rent to homebuy allocations so far this year to end of February 2009 is £31,000 and for new build homebuy in the same period is £26,000.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) people and (b) full-time equivalent staff members are employed by (i) the Tenants Service Authority and (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency. [266198]

Margaret Beckett: The numbers of staff currently employed by both the Tenants Service Authority (TSA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) as permanent staff and as full-time equivalent are shown in the following table.

	Permanent staff	Full-time equivalent
TSA	254	245
HCA	821	789

Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) homes and (b) households there were in each region in each year since 1997. [266477]

Mr. Iain Wright: Estimates of the total dwelling stock and households by region for 1997 to 2007 are given in the table.

A dwelling is defined, in line with the 2001 Census definition, as a self-contained unit of accommodation. Therefore a dwelling can consist of one self-contained household space or two or more non-self-contained household spaces at the same address. Total dwelling stock includes vacant dwellings and second homes.

Household estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. A household is defined as one person living alone or a group of people who have the accommodation as their only or main residence and (for a group) either share at least one meal a day or share living accommodation.

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26 Mar 2009 : Column 718W

Thousand
At 31 March	England	North East	North West	Yorks and the Humber	East Midlands	West Midlands	East	London	South East	South West
Dwelling stock
1997	20,622	1,100	2,890	2,105	1,732	2,170	2,227	3,026	3,280	2,093
1998	20,778	1,104	2,905	2,120	1,748	2,183	2,249	3,041	3,310	2,117
1999	20,927	1,108	2,920	2,132	1,764	2,197	2,270	3,059	3,338	2,139
2000	21,075	1,112	2,934	2,144	1,782	2,211	2,290	3,074	3,366	2,161
2001	21,207	1,115	2,945	2,155	1,797	2,225	2,308	3,090	3,392	2,181
2002	21,337	1,118	2,955	2,165	1,812	2,236	2,326	3,106	3,417	2,203
2003	21,481	1,122	2,970	2,176	1,828	2,248	2,346	3,124	3,443	2,225
2004	21,636	1,126	2,989	2,189	1,842	2,258	2,367	3,146	3,471	2,247
2005	21,805	1,131	3,007	2,202	1,860	2,274	2,389	3,168	3,503	2,270
2006	21,990	1,137	3,027	2,218	1,880	2,293	2,414	3,192	3,536	2,292
2007	22,189	1,144	3,050	2,237	1,902	2,309	2,438	3,220	3,571	2,317
Households
1997	19,877	1,072	2,772	2,032	1,687	2,117	2,161	2,850	3,196	1,989
1998	20,028	1,085	2,787	2,049	1,697	2,162	2,165	2,866	3,217	2,000
1999	20,163	1,065	2,782	2,076	1,699	2,143	2,201	2,893	3,252	2,052
2000	20,320	1,075	2,800	2,091	1,737	2,146	2,236	2,921	3,270	2,043
2001	20,403	1,080	2,799	2,110	1,729	2,130	2,247	2,959	3,267	2,083
2002	20,662	1,096	2,828	2,135	1,742	2,176	2,251	2,964	3,345	2,125
2003	20,739	1,099	2,798	2,137	1,762	2,179	2,256	2,966	3,412	2,130
2004	20,758	1,108	2,830	2,172	1,788	2,154	2,271	2,945	3,364	2,126
2005	20,932	1,103	2,840	2,169	1,775	2,170	2,310	2,972	3,443	2,151
2006	21,092	1,114	2,877	2,181	1,832	2,165	2,345	2,966	3,436	2,177
2007	21,178	1,107	2,912	2,204	1,858	2,211	2,327	2,953	3,423	2,184
Sources: 1. Dwelling stock—Census 2001; Housing Flows Reconciliation and joint returns by local authorities; Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities; Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Housing Corporation by registered social landlords; Labour Force Survey. 2. Households—Labour Force Survey.

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