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19 May 2009 : Column 1352W—continued

The figures do not include sales through HomeBuy Direct or Rent to HomeBuy, which commenced in 2008-09.

The property price figures are based on the total property price, not the amount paid by the purchaser, which could be to purchase a share of the equity in the property.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average level of support has been under each of the HomeBuy schemes in each region. [272227]

Margaret Beckett: For 2008-09 provisional figures showing the average amount of grant per unit paid through the Homes and Communities Agency’s Affordable Housing Programme for each of the HomeBuy schemes in each region are set out in the following table.

Average level of grant per completed unit
£
English region	New build HomeBuy	Open market HomeBuy	Social HomeBuy	Rent to Home B uy
North East	21,590	22,610	9,000	38,810
North West	26,400	23,670	8,900	44,930
Yorkshire and Humberside	29,520	24,420	9,000	38,320
East Midlands	15,650	24,680	—	22,220
West Midlands	20,810	23,760	7,580	21,160
Eastern	18,240	31,930	13,500	38,770
London	42,650	48,490	12,160	56,320
South East	20,740	32,420	11,650	29,200
South West	14,420	28,620	—	33,690
England	23,340	28,960	7,980	35,940
Source: Homes and Communities Agency’s Investment Management System

Provisional figures indicate that there have been no homes completed under the HomeBuy Direct scheme in 2008-09.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) first-time and (b) key worker buyers have purchased a share of a property via (i) HomeBuy Direct, (ii) OwnHome, (iii) OpenMarket HomeBuy, (iv) the First-Time Buyers Initiative, (v) MyChoice HomeBuy, (vi) New Build HomeBuy, (vii) Social HomeBuy and (viii) Rent to HomeBuy since the inception of each scheme. [272817]

Margaret Beckett: The following is a breakdown of purchases from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2009:

19 May 2009 : Column 1353W

Number
Schemes	Total purchases	Of which : key workers
Open Market Homebuy	11,165	4,117
O f which:
Own Home	799	260
MyChoice	3,123	1,026
New Build Homebuy	36,544	4,159
First Time Buyers Initiative	1,867	291

In addition there have been 306 purchases under Social HomeBuy but we do not collect data on key worker status for Social HomeBuy.

For New Build HomeBuy the table shows completions. Key worker figures are derived from the homes completed in specific Key Worker initiative schemes. It is possible that key workers have also bought homes on standard New Build HomeBuy schemes.

For HomeBuy Direct I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 April 2009, Official Report, column 1119W.

There have been no purchases under the Rent to HomeBuy scheme, which became operational in July 2008, and enables potential purchasers to rent a home for up to five years before buying a share.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average annual income was of a tenant purchasing a (a) registered social landlord and (b) local authority property in each region in each of the last five years. [273400]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Department does not collect information on the income of tenants purchasing local authority property.

For average household income of tenants purchasing registered social landlord properties through HomeBuy schemes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today (PQ 272225).

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average price paid by a tenant purchasing a (a) registered social landlord and (b) local authority property was in each region in each of the last five years. [273406]

Mr. Iain Wright: The following table shows the average price paid by a tenant purchasing a local authority property under the right to buy scheme in England from 2003-04 to 2007-08, by region.

	Average price paid (£)
Region	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
North East	20,270	36,020	40,270	45,980	54,140
North West	25,510	30,740	39,630	48,230	53,630
Yorkshire and Humberside	24,100	30,990	41,650	50,280	61,110
East Midlands	35,500	42,540	50,930	60,760	62,970
West Midlands	33,480	46,720	51,960	58,800	60,850
Eastern	58,390	67,170	78,640	87,770	103,160
London	80,570	91,120	107,620	125,960	141,260
South East	67,670	77,510	86,960	92,900	102,830
South West	50,670	56,620	64,790	76,630	79,830
England	42,200	51,520	57,910	67,800	78,130
Source: P1B returns from local authorities to Communities and local Government (CLG).

For the average price paid for registered social landlord properties purchased through HomeBuy schemes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today, (PQ 272226).

19 May 2009 : Column 1354W

The average price paid figures are the amount paid by the purchaser which could be less than the total purchase price of the property as usually a share of the equity in the property is purchased.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social homes have been empty for more than six months in each region in England. [274278]

Mr. Iain Wright: The term “social homes” has been interpreted as social rented dwellings let by local authorities or registered social landlords.

Estimates of the number of social sector domestic dwellings empty for more than six months in each region in England are shown in the following table.

Number of dwellings vacant for more than six months as at April 2008
	Local authority	Registered social landlord
North East	1,217	2,507
North West	1,788	4,279
Yorkshire and the Humber	2,065	1,583
East Midlands	533	542
West Midlands	912	2,169
East	712	631
London	5,010	2,962
South East	856	1,209
South West	379	859
England	12,895	16,741
Sources: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities; Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Housing Corporation by registered social landlords.

Figures for registered social landlords are for self-contained general needs units only and are vacant properties reported as not being available for letting. Not available for letting has been taken as a proxy for properties vacant for six months or longer as this enables the data to be presented at a regional level. Of the total number of RSL properties that have been vacant for at least six months at 31 March 2008, 90 per cent. were recorded as not available for letting.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets her Department has set for take up of each Homebuy scheme. [274745]

Margaret Beckett: We have not set individual targets for each HomeBuy scheme to ensure flexibility within the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing programme 2008-11.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how frequently local authorities are expected to carry out valuations on social dwellings in relation to (a) Right to Buy and (b) Social Homebuy purchase prices. [274848]

Margaret Beckett: Local authorities are required to provide a valuation when a tenant applies to purchase their home under the Right to Buy or Social HomeBuy schemes. In the case of Social HomeBuy, they must do so when a tenant applies to purchase an initial share and when they subsequently apply to purchase an additional share.

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