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12 Nov 2009 : Column 898W—continued
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 4 November 2009, Official Report, column 1060W, on council housing, how many social homes have been (a) built, (b) acquired, (c) sold and (d) demolished in each year since 1997. [299181]
Mr. Ian Austin: Figures showing the number of homes built and acquired for social rent are included in Live Table 1009 on the CLG website for each year from 1991-92. The figures include both local authority and registered social landlord completions:
29,370 homes were provided for social rent in 2007-08. This is the third consecutive year these figures have increased.
Figures showing the number of social homes sold to sitting tenants are included in Live Table 678 on the CLG website for each year since 1991-92. The figures include both local authority and registered social landlord completions:
These figures on number of sales of social homes cover only sales to sitting tenants. Shared ownership sales can also take place under low cost home ownership schemes, but these include sales of private homes on the open market.
The following table shows the number of local authority and registered social landlord homes demolished from 2001-02. Figures are not available for earlier years:
| LA demolitions | RSL demolitions | All social housing demolitions | |
Figures on the number of social homes built and acquired are from the Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG.
Figures on the number of social housing sales sold to sitting tenants are from Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR) from registered social landlords (RSLs) to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), and quarterly PIB returns from local authorities to CLG.
Figures on local authority demolitions are from Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) returns to CLG from local authorities.
RSL demolitions are from RSR returns to the TSA. Up to 2004-05, these returns cover all RSLs, in 2005-06 they only include returns from RSLs with at least 250 units, and from 2006-07 they only include returns from RSLs with at least 1,000 units.
All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 units.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord tenants completed home exchanges in each year since 1997 [299361]
Mr. Ian Austin [holding answer 11 November 2009]: The number of local authority dwellings let through mutual exchanges is reported through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). The following table provides this information for each year since 1997-98. Figures for 2008-09 will be published on 26 November.
The transfer of local authority stock to registered social landlords (RSLs) through large scale voluntary transfers (LSVT) is reflected in the falling number of mutual exchanges.
| Number of local authority dwellings let through mutual exchanges, England, 1997-98 to 2007-08 | |
| Year( 1) | Number( 2) |
| (1) Data are reported from 1 April to 31 March each year. (2) Rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA), section D | |
Information on registered social landlord dwellings let through mutual exchanges is not collected centrally.
Social Rented Housing: Bedfordshire
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps he plans to take to increase the standard of social housing in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in the next 12 months; [295366]
(2) what steps he plans to take to raise the standard of social housing in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England in the next 12 months. [299083]
Mr. Ian Austin: This Government believe that everyone should have the opportunity to have a decent home. In 1997 our Decent Homes Programme was introduced and all council and housing associations were challenged to meet the Decent Homes Standard. Many will meet this challenge using existing resources. For those that need extra funding this Government have a suite of options that may be applied for. Since 1997 over £33 billion has been invested in improving social housing.
The former Mid Bedfordshire local authority transferred their social housing stock to the Aragon Housing Association who expect to meet the decent homes standard by 2010 (except where tenants have declined work that would bring them up to standard). This has been confirmed by the Tenants Services Authority who are the statutory regulator for the raising of social housing standards, and the regeneration of social housing. The TSA is about to consult on the standards which it will set for Registered Providers from 1 April 2010. The Government are proposing to direct the TSA to set a standard on quality of accommodation.
In June we announced our Housing Pledge bringing forward a further £1.5 billion to build additional affordable homes by:
Expanding the existing programme enabling RSLs (registered social landlords) to deliver additional affordable homes.
Expanding the Kickstart Housing Delivery Programme to help unlock stalled sites and deliver additional affordable housing.
An adequate overall supply of housing is critical to meeting the need for social housing. For instance it gives more opportunities to negotiate for affordable housing provision from developers, whereas an inadequate supply can force up prices and push people into needing social housing, where their preference would be home ownership. In this context targets for overall house building are important. The RSS (Regional Spatial Strategy) for the East of England (which was published by the Secretary of State in May 2008) sets a target for central Bedfordshire of 762 additional dwellings per year. I am pleased to say that central Bedfordshire is one of the areas which is doing well at meeting its target, with an average of 1,240 dwellings built each year between 2001 and 2008.
Social Rented Housing: Foreigners
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what entitlement to social housing each category of non-UK born migrant to the UK has. [293323]
Mr. Ian Austin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Social Rented Housing: Leeds
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints about the standard of social housing in Leeds his Department received in the most recent period for which figures are available. [299646]
Mr. Ian Austin: I am not aware that any complaints have been made to the Department, however I am aware that hon. Members including the hon. Member have asked questions about the standard of social housing in Leeds.
Social Rented Housing: Standards
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was originally planned for the ALMO decent homes programme in respect of those ALMOs gaining two stars on their first inspection in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what is the revised amount. [299154]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) who manage the day to day delivery of the ALMO Decent Homes programme report that the original planned funding for 2009-10 for ALMOs gaining two stars at their first inspection was £35 million. The revised amount is £14.5 million.
The original amount planned for 2010-11 was £14.6 million. Those ALMOs who gain two stars in 2010-11 will now likely receive funding in 2011-12. As we announced on 17 July, in order to fund the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to provide new affordable homes, get the construction industry moving and create around 45,000 jobs in the building trade, £150 million has been deferred from the Decent Homes programme into 2011-12.
Social Rented Housing: Sutton
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 13 October 2009, Official Report, column 776W, on social housing: standards, whether (a) Sutton and (b) Havering arms' length management organisations will receive funding under the Decent Homes programme in 2009-10. [299159]
Mr. Ian Austin: This matter is the subject of legal proceedings brought against the Department by the two local authorities. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
Tenant Services Authority
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much the Tenant Services Authority has spent on assessing the financial viability of registered social landlords since its inception; [299230]
(2) how many full-time equivalent employees the Tenant Services Authority employs to assess the financial viability of registered social landlords. [299231]
Mr. Ian Austin [holding answer 10 November 2009]: The Tenant Services Authority have to date spent £11.7 million on their risk and assurance functions. These include assessing the viability of registered social landlords.
125 full-time equivalent staff are currently employed in the risk and assurance directorate (out of total TSA staffing of 264). Going forward, the TSA will adopt a more targeted approach to viability regulation and will dedicate additional resources to the tenant facing standards. Numbers of staff in risk and assurance will then reduce to fewer than 100.
Travelling People: Caravan Sites
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Gypsy and Traveller site grants were made in each of the last three years; and what the average amount of such a grant was in each of those years. [300052]
Mr. Malik: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Northern Ireland
Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse of the Saville Inquiry has been in each month since January 2005. [295924]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised that the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to the end of September 2009 is £188.7 million. The costs of the Inquiry for each calendar month since January 2005 are shown in the following table.
| NIO funding | MoD funding | Total | |
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