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14 May 2009 : Column 1004W—continued
Provisional figures indicate that there have been no homes completed under the HomeBuy Direct scheme in 2008-09.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing units have been (a) bought and (b) sold in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years. [274242]
Mr. Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of units acquired for social rent by local authorities and registered social landlords in Essex and Castle Point in each of the last five years for which data are available.
| Units acquired for social rent | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG. Figures have been rounded to nearest 10 units. | |||||
Total social rented housing is provided by new build completions, as well as acquisitions. For example, in 2007-08, a total of 10 additional social rented homes were provided in Castle Point (through both new build and acquisitions), and 880 additional social rented homes were provided in Essex (new build and acquisitions).
The following table shows the number of social housing units sold by local authorities and registered social landlords in Essex and Castle Point in each of the last five years.
| Units sold | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| Source: Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR) from Registered Social Landlords to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and PIB returns to CLG from local authorities. Figures have been rounded to nearest 10 units. | |||||
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of shared ownership properties vacant at the latest date for which figures are available. [274710]
Mr. Iain Wright: The number of unsold housing association shared ownership properties for the period of January to March 2009 was 8,742. This is down 16 per cent. from the previous quarter where the figure was 10,359. As with all home purchases, transactions can take between three to six months to complete. The total number of homes unsold for more than six months dropped from 4,629 last quarter to 3,771, down 19 per cent.
Housing: Sales
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average income of first-time buyers taking part in the First-Time Buyers initiative has been in each year since the scheme's inception. [272103]
Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the average household income of purchasers through the First Time Buyers initiative for each year since the scheme's inception.
| Average household income (£) | |
| (1) Figures for 2009 only available until end of February 2009. | |
Housing: Sustainable Development
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes with a sustainability code rating of (a) one star, (b) two stars, (c) three stars, (d) four stars, (e) five stars and (f) six stars have been completed in each of the last three years. [272219]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 May 2009, Official Report, columns 11-12MC.
Industrial Health and Safety
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its predecessor spent on compliance with requirements of health and safety at work legislation in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [274547]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessors have not specifically recorded expenditure incurred in maintaining ongoing compliance with health and safety at work legislation.
To disaggregate such costs would incur a disproportionate cost.
Land Use: Public Sector
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of minutes of each meeting of the surplus public sector land strategy group in the last 12 months. [272431]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Surplus Public Sector Land Strategy Group was a short-life group established to provide strategic guidance on the surplus public sector land programme. The Strategy Group met four times and considered commercially sensitive material and advised on the formulation and development of Government policy. On that basis we do not think it appropriate to place the minutes in the Library.
Local Development Frameworks
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on local development schemes established by each local planning authority. [274757]
Mr. Iain Wright: Local Development Schemes are individual local planning authority timetables for producing core strategy and other development plan documents for its area, agreed with the Secretary of State through the Regional Government Office. The Department holds a record of Local Development Scheme timetables on a database and they are published on the Planning Portal website:
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 4 February 2009, Official Report, column 1293W, on mortgages: Government assistance, what criteria her Department uses to define an ordinary hard-working household. [273596]
Margaret Beckett: The eligibility criteria for Homeowners Mortgage Support are designed to ensure that this scheme helps hard-working households who are having difficulties with their mortgage repayments to avoid the threat of repossession.
The eligibility criteria include households demonstrating that they have had a temporary loss of income from employment or self-employment of a scale which affects the household's ability to make full mortgage payments, but which is not expected to be a permanent loss of income. Households must also have no savings in excess of £16,000. Full eligibility criteria are available at
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing associations are yet to receive Government funding in respect of the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. [273700]
Margaret Beckett: The Government’s Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational since 1 January, supported by a network of 23 registered social landlord (RSL) mortgage rescue providers covering every local authority area in England. Further RSLs who wish to offer the scheme are being encouraged to do so in partnership with the lead provider for the area.
Under the scheme’s financial framework there is absolute flexibility to direct the available resources to those areas with the greatest demand. This will be kept under review. Funding is drawn down once a rescue is complete and the RSL provider has submitted a grant claim to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many eligible applications have been received under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme. [274181]
Margaret Beckett: The scheme opened with the first group of lenders on 21 April. Borrowers apply to the Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme through their lender. Before being admitted to the scheme, they need to take money advice. We have worked with the participating lenders to produce a proportionate reporting system. This will provide statistics which will be published on a regular basis.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 139W, on mortgages: government assistance (1) what the terms of a typical loan offered under the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund will be; and by what date she expects the first household to be in receipt of such a loan; [274893]
(2) what steps she is taking to publicise the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund; and if she will make a statement; [274894]
(3) by what date she expects local authorities to be able to apply for funding under the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund. [274895]
Margaret Beckett: The Department will write shortly to all local authorities setting out further details about use of the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund. The funding, which is administered through the Homelessness Revenue Grant Programme, under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003, will be allocated to local authorities in June so that it is available to provide help to households as quickly as possible. Our advice to local authorities will set out that loans from the fund should not exceed a value of £5,000 per household and interest will not be charged. Information about the fund will be added to the range of support available to households and publicised for example through the DirectGov website.
Planning: Canvey Island
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department plans to provide for work to be carried out by Building Design Partnership Ltd on a master plan for Canvey Island town centre; and if she will make a statement. [273522]
Margaret Beckett: The Homes and Communities Agency, funded by my Department, has approved a grant of £100,000 to Castle Point borough council over a two year period for a master planning project for Canvey Town Centre. Building Design Partnership Ltd has won a tender to carry out the work on their behalf.
Rented Housing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 143W, on rented housing, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authority homes built since the data in Table 1 was compiled; and if she will make a statement. [274890]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 March 2009, Official Report, column 724W.
Repossession Orders
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of properties being purchased with a buy-to-let mortgage that have been repossessed in each of the last 10 quarters. [274711]
Margaret Beckett: The number of buy-to-let mortgage repossessions in the UK are published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The following table shows the number of buy-to-let mortgage repossessions in each of the last 10 quarters as published by the CML.
| Number of buy-to-let mortgage repossessions, UK | ||
| Number | ||
| Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders. | ||
Shared Ownership Schemes: Mortgages
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of high street mortgage lenders which do not offer mortgage terms to buyers purchasing under shared ownership schemes. [275563]
Mr. Iain Wright: There are 17 lenders currently willing to offer mortgages under shared ownership schemes, an increase from 14 lenders in February 2009. The Government continue to work with the Council of Mortgage Lenders and individual lenders to encourage lender participation.
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