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30 Mar 2009 : Column 969W—continued
Expenditure has been converted to 2008-09 prices using the GDP deflator as published by HM Treasury. This deflator is calculated from Office for National Statistics data for seasonally adjusted current and constant price GDP for years up to 2007-08. 2008-09 is derived from HM Treasury forecasts for GDP deflator increases at the Pre-Budget Report 2008.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research has been commissioned by her Department on likely changes in housing (a) need and (b) demand arising during the recession; and if she will make a statement. [265096]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department has commissioned Heriot-Watt university to produce a new analytical model that will improve our capacity to estimate the number and type of households with some form of housing related need. We expect the housing need analytical model to be in use within Communities and Local Government by autumn 2009.
The CLG affordability model was developed in response to the Barker Review of Housing Supply in 2004. This model has been updated to reflect the tighter credit conditions we are seeing. We are also updating it currently to include the latest CLG households projections published in March 2009.
Both of these analytical models are designed primarily to assess the impact of important long-term drivers of need and demand, such as demographic change. They will also be valuable tools in understanding the near term impact of the economic downturn on housing need and demand.
Housing: Crime Prevention
Derek Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what
proportion of new homes constructed met the minimum levels of security set out in the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 since 2004; [267223]
(2) what account will be taken of making buildings more resistant to crime in the next revision of building regulations. [267224]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 contains no provisions on minimum levels of security for new homes; it simply amended the Building Act 1984 to give power to make building regulations for the purpose of furthering the prevention and detection of crime. This power has not been used.
Security of homes is, however, part of the Code on Sustainable Homes. Under this code, developers can gain credits for security if they consult an architectural liaison officer or crime prevention design advisor in the local police force and their recommendations are incorporated in the design of the home. To date these credits have been included in over 90 per cent. of all code homes.
There are no current plans to include making buildings more resistant to crime in the next revision of the Building Regulations but consideration will be given for future revisions.
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps have been taken to implement the provisions of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004. [267225]
Mr. Iain Wright: The provisions of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 mainly amended the Building Act 1984 to allow building regulations to be made for more purposes than previously. A number of the powers have been used to make building regulations since the 2004 Act came into force, in particular in respect of the energy efficiency provisions of the building regulations. This Department has publicly consulted on proposals for the provisions in the Act on local authority registers of information, certification of work, and appointed persons and management of works and is considering how best to proceed.
The Act also requires a biennial report on the building stock in England and Wales, with particular reference to energy efficiency and sustainability, to be made to Parliament. The first report covering the period November 2004 to November 2006 was made in February 2007. A second report, covering the period November 2006 to November 2008, is currently being prepared.
Housing: Low Incomes
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its predecessors have spent on the provision of affordable housing in each year since 1997; and what forecast she has made of such expenditure in each year to 2011, at 2008-09 prices. [266317]
Mr. Iain Wright: The table shows spend by the Homes and Communities Agency through the Affordable Housing Programme from 1997-98 to 2007-08.
| £ million | |
The indicative allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 for the AHP are £3.5 billion and £2.3 billion respectively. At 2008-09 prices these would be £3.43 billion and £2.21 billion respectively.
Expenditure that may be made by local authorities using their resources from CLG to provide affordable housing has not been included.
Housing: Standards
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department plans to spend on improving the supply and quality of housing in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 in (i) cash terms and (ii) 2008-09 prices. [265082]
Mr. Iain Wright: £11.5 billion, with the breakdown by financial year shown in the following table, will be allocated to deliver supply and quality of housing during the current comprehensive spending review period. The Government announced packages of measures in May, July, September, the pre-Budget report and at the Queen’s Speech, to address the current conditions and long-term challenges facing the housing market. This includes £550 million brought forward from the 2010-11 budgets to 2008-09 and 2009-10 from within the national Affordable Housing Programme for social rented housing. This funding is expected to provide an additional 7,500 homes over the next 18 months.
| £ billion | ||
| Budgets | In 2008-09 prices | |
If the £11.5 billion is expressed in 2008-09 prices, this equates to around £11.3 billion. Conversion to 2008-9 prices has been done using the GDP deflator as published by HMT. Years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are derived from HM Treasury forecasts for GDP deflator increases at the pre-Budget report 2008.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes which did not meet the Decent Homes Standard there were in (a) housing association stock, (b) local authority stock and (c) the private rented sector in each year since 1997. [266515]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 26 March 2009]: The Department for Communities and Local Government uses estimates from the English House Condition Survey to compare the condition of homes of different tenures. The survey reported every five years up and including 2001 and annually from 2003.
The Decent Homes standard was updated in 2006 when the introduction of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System replaced the Fitness Standard as the statutory tool for assessing housing conditions. Figures based on the updated definition from 2006 are not comparable with those based on the original definition.
The information requested is provided in the following table. 2008 estimates from the survey will be available in 2010.
| Number of homes not meeting the Decent Homes standard in the private and social rented sectors, 1996-2007 | |||
| Private rented | Local authority | Housing association | |
| Note: Figures under the Original definition include the Fitness Standard as the statutory criterion of the standard; figures under the updated definition include the Housing Health and Safety Rating System as the statutory criterion. Source: English House Condition Survey. | |||
Local Government Finance
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much funding her Department has provided to local authorities in social housing grant in each region in each year since 1997; [266472]
(2) how much funding her Department has provided to local authorities in social housing grant payments in each year since 1997 at 2008-09 prices. [266473]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Homes and Communities Agency has not paid social housing grant direct to local authorities and has only had the power to do so since the Housing Act 2004. This allowed organisations other than housing associations to bid for social housing grant, the main capital subsidy for new housing. Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO) have been able to qualify through the pre-qualification process to bid for SHG from April 2008.
In September 2008, we announced that we would invite councils to bid to the HCA for social housing grant on the same basis as ALMOs and special purpose vehicles. We are also consulting on changes to council housing finance rules which would allow councils to
keep the full income and capital returns on any investment they make in new council housing. The revenue and capital changes would help councils put together viable bids for social housing grant from the HCA. These changes should result in an increase in building by councils.
Mobile Homes
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of a caravan is used in relation to decisions under planning regulations. [264841]
Mr. Iain Wright: Section 29(1) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 (the 1960 Act) defines, in brief, a caravan as:
“any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another...”
Although caravans are mobile and therefore do not constitute development, planning permission may be required for the stationing or use of a caravan if it constitutes a material change in the use of the land. Some permitted development rights relating to caravans can be found in Parts 4 and 5 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, which uses the same definition of caravan as the 1960 Act.
Mobile Homes: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many licensed sites for park homes are registered in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex. [267268]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department does not routinely collect statistics on the number of park home sites. However, an ad hoc survey of local authorities in England carried out in 2006 suggested the following:
| Approximate number of residential park home sites | |
Multiple Occupation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers planning authorities have to prevent development of houses of multiple occupation. [266745]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) is intended to be a deregulatory mechanism which removes the need for planning permission for changes between certain specified uses by grouping into classes land uses which have similar implications for local amenity. The Use Classes Order defines dwelling houses under the C3 use class as houses used by a single person, any number of persons living together as a family, or by no more than six people living together as a single household.
HMOs do not fall within any of the specified use classes, and therefore are “sui generis” (in a class of its own) in terms of use. Planning permission is needed for
a change of use to or from a sui generis use. Therefore, planning permission would be needed for a proposed change of use from a private dwelling to a HMO, or if such is deemed to have occurred.
Where a planning application is required, local planning authorities will be able to assess the application against the relevant policies in their Development Plan taking into account any other material considerations.
The current definition of a dwelling house implies that up to six people living together as a single household should not, prima facie, be considered as a HMO. However local planning authorities may determine individual cases on the basis of “fact and degree” and may decide that a dwelling with fewer than six people living together other than as a single household constitutes a HMO.
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