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12 Oct 2009 : Column 356W—continued


Social Rented Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to a registered social landlord arising from their designation as a public body; and if he will make a statement. [291581]

Mr. Ian Austin: No such estimate has been made. Registered social landlords (RSLs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations that are responsible for their own aims, objectives, performance and management. The Tenant Services Authority regulates RSLs in England to ensure that they provide decent homes and services for tenants.

Social Rented Housing: East of England

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of (a) local authority and (b) housing association homes in each local authority area in the East of England met the Decent Homes Standard in each of the last 10 years. [289298]

Mr. Ian Austin: A set of tables containing the information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Social Rented Housing: Freedom of Information

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons registered social landlords (RSLs) are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; in what ways RSLs are accountable to their residents; and what powers local councils have over RSLs operating in their area. [290436]

Mr. Ian Austin: In relation to the reasons why RSLs are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 6 July 2009, Official Report, column 593W.

RSLs are independent not-for-profit organisations responsible for their own aims, objectives, performance and management. The Government sponsors the Tenant Services Authority to regulate RSLs to ensure that they provide decent homes and services for tenants.

Local councils have no regulatory powers over RSLs operating in their area.

Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has commissioned research into the legality of giving priority in social housing allocation policies to local residents; and if he will make a statement. [290424]

John Healey: Under the Housing Act 1996, local authorities may take into account any local connection which exists between an applicant and the authority's area, in determining priority between those in the reasonable preference categories.

New statutory guidance, which we have published for consultation, ("Fair and Flexible", July 2009) reinforces the message that local authorities have flexibility to take into account local needs and priorities when determining their allocation policies, including local connection.

Allocation schemes that include local connection should not discriminate against any ethnic group and must comply with the relevant equalities legislation.

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have been on social housing waiting lists in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North-East and (d) England in each of the last five years. [291544]

Mr. Ian Austin: The number of households registered on social housing waiting lists in each local authority, as at 1 April each year from 1997 to 2008, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is given as follows:

This information is not available for constituencies.

Social Sector Working Party

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 699W, whether the concerns raised at the meeting with the representatives of the London Leasehold Officers' Forum on 12 August 2009 will be included in the agenda for the next meeting of the Social Sector Working Party. [289376]

Mr. Ian Austin: It was agreed at the Social Sector Working Party meeting held on 20 January that the most appropriate way forward in respect of section 152 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 was to allow the Working Party the opportunity to comment on the associated draft regulations when they were available. A copy was sent to them and comments were received from one member of the Working Party which will be taken into account.

A copy was also sent to the representatives of the London Leasehold Officers' Forum following concerns raised at the meeting on 12 May. Comments from both groups will be taken into account when finalising the regulations.


12 Oct 2009 : Column 357W

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans there are to hold a second round of bids by local authorities under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. [289538]

Barbara Follett: The Secretary of State invited local authorities to submit proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act to the Local Government Association, acting as 'selector', by 31 July 2009. We are co-operating with the Local Government Association as they draw up a short-list of proposals. The timing of future rounds will be considered once the Government have had the opportunity to evaluate the implementation of the relevant sections of the Act.

Sustainable Development

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which principal authorities intend to participate in the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. [292427]

Barbara Follett: Following the Secretary of State's invitation, which was issued in October 2008, 100 local authorities have submitted proposals under section 2 of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. This includes 90 lead authorities and a further 10 authorities included in joint proposals.

The 100 local authorities are:


12 Oct 2009 : Column 358W

12 Oct 2009 : Column 359W

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to lift the £25,000 rental cap on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. [292118]

John Healey: The Government's response to the Review of the Private Rented Sector, published for consultation in May, announced our intention to review the annual rental threshold for assured and assured shorthold tenancies. The consultation closed in August and we are now considering the responses received.

Tenant Services Authority

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultations the Tenant Services Authority has undertaken since its inception; and (a) how much each such consultation had cost and (b) in which phase each such consultation was on the latest date for which figures are available. [291668]

Mr. Ian Austin: Since its establishment in December 2008, the Tenant Services Authority has undertaken a 'National Conversation' with tenants and landlords in order to inform the development of its new regulatory framework. The National Conversation is being conducted in two phases. 27,000 social housing tenants from across the country took part in the first phase, which ran from January to March 2009. The second phase is currently ongoing.

In relation to the cost of the National Conversation, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) on 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 251W.

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