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12 Oct 2009 : Column 325W—continued
Not all affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, in 2007-08, a total of 210 additional affordable homes were provided in Gloucester (new build and acquisitions), 150 in Tewkesbury, 120 in Cheltenham, 10 in Cotswold, 100 in Stroud, and 100 additional affordable homes were provided in Forest of Dean (new build and acquisitions).
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage self-build housebuilders. [292296]
John Healey: The Government recognise the need to promote a diverse range of housing suppliers to achieve its housing ambitions. This includes, where appropriate, self builders who make an important contribution towards the meeting the demand for new homes.
The Government are doing further work identify additional opportunities to promote a strong and diverse house-building sector. We will report on progress with this work alongside the 2009 pre-Budget report in the autumn.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many self-built homes were completed in each region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [292298]
John Healey: This information is not held centrally.
Housing: Low Incomes
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which Homebuy schemes Northern Rock participates. [289536]
John Healey: Participation in homebuy schemes is a commercial decision for lenders. Currently, 18 lenders are willing to offer mortgages under shared ownership schemes, such as new build homebuy, and five lenders support HomeBuy Direct. Northern Rock is not one of these participants.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the number of affordable housing units provided in (a) whole and (b) part through Section 106 agreements in the last three years. [289544]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 30 March 2009, Official Report, columns 974-75W.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the monetary value of developers' contributions under Section 106 agreements in each year since 1997; and what changes have been made to the criteria used to determine the level of such contributions since 1997. [289728]
Mr. Ian Austin: Detailed information on the value and nature of section 106 contributions are not held centrally. The Government have conducted a survey of the use and value of planning obligations among English local authorities for the years 2003-04 and 2005-06. These research reports are published on the Communities and Local Government website.
This research estimates that the total value of planning obligations agreed in England has increased from £1.9 billion in 2003-04 to £4 billion in 2005-06. Figures for 2005-06 show that of the total value of planning obligations made in that year, the majority of contributions were made towards affordable housing (50 per cent.), followed by the provision of land (24 per cent.), transport and travel (9 per cent.), open space and the environment (5 per cent.), education (4 per cent.), community works and leisure (2 per cent.), and other contributions (6 per cent.).
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether MyChoice HomeBuy is included in the proposed closure of Open Market HomeBuy; [290465]
(2) for what reasons he is closing the Open Market Homebuy scheme; and what his plans are for the future of the HomeBuy Direct scheme. [289547]
John Healey: As I outlined in my written statement to the House on 30 June 2009, Official Report, columns 7-10WS, we are closing the Open Market HomeBuy scheme, including MyChoice HomeBuy, in order to maximise our efforts behind the building of new affordable homes. As well as helping first time buyers this increases the supply of houses and creates jobs.
HomeBuy Direct is a partnership between Government and housebuilders that is giving thousands of first-time buyers the chance to step onto the property ladder, while at the same time stimulating construction activity and retaining capacity in the housebuilding industry to respond when the market recovers.
Housebuilders are able to bid for funding for more HomeBuy Direct schemes through the Kickstart programme.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties have been sold under the HomeBuy Direct scheme in each local authority area in England since the scheme's introduction. [291484]
John Healey: Provisional estimates for completed sales under the HomeBuy Direct scheme by local authority area, to the end of August 2009, are set out in the following table:
| Local authority | Number |
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