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26 Mar 2009 : Column 726W—continued


Social Rented Housing

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's press notice of 2 September 2008 entitled Ensuring a fair housing market for all, how many of the planned 5,500 new social rented homes have been (a) built and (b) occupied to date. [266396]

Mr. Iain Wright: On 2 September 2008, we announced that £400 million would be brought forward to deliver 5,500 more social rented homes. Of this £100 million has been made available in 2008-09 and £300 million in 2009-10. On average it takes around 12 months to build out most schemes, so it is too early for any to have been completed and occupied.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for social rent were built (a) by local authorities, (b) by housing associations and (c) privately in each year since 1997. [266480]

Mr. Iain Wright: Social rent new build figures are collated from the Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns and P2 house building returns submitted to CLG by local authorities and the National House-Building Council (NHBC).

The following table shows the number of affordable homes built in England each year, by tenure, according to who took ownership of the home and then provided it for social rent.


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26 Mar 2009 : Column 728W

Registered social landlords Local authorities Tenure not known Total

1997-98

23,690

320

0

24,020

1998-99

22,430

180

10

22,620

1999-2000

19,520

60

40

19,610

2000-01

17,300

180

750

18,230

2001-02

17,510

60

1,070

18,640

2002-03

16,590

200

720

17,510

2003-04

16,600

190

1,580

18,370

2004-05

17,410

100

1,270

18,790

2005-06

18,560

300

1,660

20,510

2006-07

19,160

250

2,090

21,500

2007-08

23,210

310

1,860

25,390


Not all social rented housing is provided through new build completions, supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In 2007-08, an additional 3,980 social rented homes were supplied through acquisitions which are not included in the figure above.

The CLG figures on affordable housing reflect who provided homes for social rent, rather than who built the homes.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to revise the Government’s targets for (a) new social rented housing and (b) new homes. [265089]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Housing Green Paper, “Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable”, published in July 2007, set out the Government’s ambition to increase housing supply.

The Government recognise that the current financial and economic conditions will make the achievement of substantially increased housing supply extremely challenging. We remain committed to doing all we can to meet long-term demand and need for housing.

To help achieve our commitment we have brought forward investment, of £550 million, and have been exploring with the Homes and Communities Agency new ways of securing new homes for social rent and affordable housing.

Tenant Services Authority

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Tenant Services Authority on its charging policy in respect of mobile consultations with tenants' associations. [267059]

Mr. Iain Wright: There have been no discussions with the Tenant Services Authority because they do not have a charging policy in respect of mobile consultations with tenants.

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many tenants (a) took part in the Tenant Services Authority's (TSA) National Conversation and (b) visited the TSA's camper van. [267147]

Margaret Beckett: The total number of tenants who participated in (a) the Tenant Services Authority's national conversation and (b) visited the TSA's camper van is currently unavailable. These figures are currently being analysed and the results will form part of a report which the TSA will publish in early summer.


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