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28 Jun 2010 : Column 378W—continued
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) Housing Investment Programme and (b) Major Repairs Allowance funding was allocated to council housing in the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997. [4122]
Andrew Stunell: The table shows the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) element of Basic Credit Approval (BCA) allocations for the London borough of Tower Hamlets between 1997-2001. Each authority's HRA BCA, which enabled borrowing for capital expenditure, was based on allocations established as part of the Housing Investment Programme (HIP) process.
The table also shows Tower Hamlets' Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) funding from 2001, when the allowance was introduced, and allocations of Supported Capital Expenditure for Decent Homes investment on which Government agreed to support debt financing costs within the HRA subsidy system.
| Tower Hamlets | ||||
| Stock | HRA BCA (£) | Supported capital expenditure (£) | MRA (£) | |
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) social rented homes and (b) low cost home ownership homes were built in the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997. [4123]
Andrew Stunell: The number of social rented and low cost home ownership units built in Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
It should also be noted that not all affordable housing is provided through new-build completions as supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment
of private sector homes. In 2008-09, for example, a total of 1,280 additional affordable homes were provided in Tower Hamlets.
| Table 1: Number of new build affordable units in Tower Hamlets | ||||
| Social rent | Intermediate rent | LCHO | Total | |
| Note: Rounded to nearest 10 units. Source: CLG Official Statistics on gross affordable housing supply | ||||
The next CLG Affordable Housing statistical release containing figures for 2009-10 is scheduled to be published in the autumn of 2010.
Local Government Bill
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister will have lead responsibility for the Local Government Bill. [3892]
Robert Neill: The Local Government Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on 26 May 2010, with Baroness Hanham being the Government Minister having lead responsibility for the Bill in that House.
The Minister with lead policy responsibility for the Bill is the Housing and Local Government Minister, my right hon. friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps).
Local Government Finance
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 15-17WS, on the local government savings package, what the in-year change in grant funding from his Department to each local authority is in 2010-11; and what revenue funding his Department has allocated to each local authority for 2010-11. [4321]
Robert Neill: We have asked local authorities to make a contribution of £1.166 billion to the £6.2 billion of cross-Government savings in 2010-11 to enable the Government to take immediate action to start to tackle the fiscal deficit. Of this, £358.5 million will come from my Department's budget and £ 175.0 million will come from the budget which my Department holds on behalf of Government as a whole.
The reduction in grants for individual local authorities for which final allocations had been announced is set out in the document made available to the House at the time of the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 15-17WS. The document
also sets out the main revenue allocations paid to each local authority including formula grant and area based grant.
Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about where savings are found. We have ensured that councils have the flexibility to take decisions locally on how to deliver the savings needed without impacting on essential frontline services.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the (a) Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme, (b) Mortgage Rescue Scheme, (c) Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme and (d) free national advice line and website. [4448]
Grant Shapps: I am currently conducting a review of the Department's schemes to help homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage and make sure they offer the best deal for homeowners and taxpayers alike. Government have already taken steps at Budget to improve the sustainability and value for money of Support for Mortgage Interest and I will continue to work closely with colleagues across Government through the comprehensive spending review (CSR) to ensure support for struggling homeowners is delivered in an effective and sustainable way.
Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the merits of introducing transitional rate relief for petrol stations whose business rates have increased as a result of the April 2010 rating revaluation. [4300]
Robert Neill: A transitional relief scheme was introduced on 1 April 2010 which limits the annual increases in bills for those ratepayers facing large rises as a result of the 2010 revaluation. The transitional relief scheme applies to all sectors including petrol filling stations. The new Government are aware of concerns about large increases in rateable value for petrol stations and will be looking to meet representatives of the industry to discuss their concerns.
Planning: Minerals
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to amend the controls governing mineral safeguarding areas near settlements in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [3984]
Robert Neill: Existing national planning policy for mineral safeguarding is contained in Minerals Policy Statement 1: Planning and Minerals (MPS1) (2006). In the coalition agreement the Government stated that they will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.
Public Expenditure
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance he has issued to his Department's executive agencies on the (a) suspension and (b) implementation of programme spending. [4418]
Robert Neill: HM Treasury guidance to Departments on spending controls, issued by way of a finance director letter on 26 May, was forwarded by CLG's interim senior finance director to finance directors of the Department's Executive agencies with a covering note on 28 May. Agency chief executives and finance directors have attended a series of regular meetings to discuss spending controls and approvals and other matters in recent weeks.
Regeneration: Stepney
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the £41 million funding allocated to the regeneration of the Ocean Estate in Stepney by the Homes and Communities Agency has been included in the Government's review of public expenditure decisions. [4149]
Andrew Stunell: Grant funding of £41 million to help deliver new affordable homes on the Ocean estate was approved and allocated by the HCA on 3 March 2010, and work began on site later that month. The scheme was not included in the Government's review of public expenditure decisions.
Social Rented Housing: Finance
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to each of the arm's length management organisations in round six of his Department's programme; and if he will make a statement. [4150]
Andrew Stunell: The following table sets out the overall indicative capital funding allocations that have been agreed with each of the round six arm's length management organisations to deliver a Decent Homes investment programme.
| ALMO | Funding total (£ million) |
| (1 )To be confirmed. | |
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