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Housing

Volume 454: debated on Thursday 14 December 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of projected additional housing demand she attributes to (a) larger families, (b) longer life expectancy and (c) migration. (105279)

The Department’s household projections for England are used to estimate future housing requirements. In the most recent 2003 based household projections it was estimated that there would be an average 209,000 additional households per annum between 2003 and 2026.

Of the 209,000 additional households per annum:

(a) It is not possible to estimate the proportion of household growth due to larger families. However, it was estimated that 150,000 of the additional households per annum will be single person households, accounting for 72 per cent. of the growth;

(b) Older households i.e. those with household representatives aged 65 or older was estimated to account for around 105,000 (50 per cent.) of the growth;

(c) Net migration into England was estimated to account for around 65,000 (31 per cent.) of the growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to review key worker shared ownership housing schemes managed by housing associations. (105294)

We reviewed our shared ownership and key worker schemes last year as part of a wider consultation—‘HomeBuy - Expanding the Opportunity to Own’—on proposals to provide simpler, fairer home ownership opportunities for more people. Our new ‘HomeBuy’ scheme was launched in April this year. Further work is underway as a result of the shared equity task force to help more people into shared ownership and ensure resources are targeted most effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) average household income and (b) average private sector rent for self-contained accommodation was in each higher tier local authority area over the latest three year period for which figures are available; and what the ratio of those two factors is for each local authority, listed in descending order. (105667)

Average household incomes by local authority are not available. As an alternative, average employee earnings by local authority are available from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an Office for National Statistics survey.

The tables that can be accessed via the following links include average gross weekly pay for full time employees in 2004, 2005 and 2006 disaggregated by place of employee residence. The links for each of the three years are:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE_2004_inc/tab8_1a.xls

http://www. statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE_2005/Table8_1a.xls

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE_2006/tab8_1a.xls

Reliable data for average private sector rents for self-contained accommodation are not available at local authority level. Consequently, ratios of income to private rent cannot be provided either.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has made an assessment of the cost of payments to Registered Social Landlords Board members in each of the last five years. (107919)

No such assessment has been made. In 2004, the Housing Corporation issued a determination under schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1996 permitting payments to registered social landlord (RSL) board members of less than £20,000. The annual regulatory and statistical return collected by the Housing Corporation includes a question on whether RSLs make any payments to board members. It does not collect information about the amounts paid. The number of RSLs that made payments to their board members in each year are as follows:

Number of RSLs making payments to board members

2004

94

2005

172

2006

131

These data are only available for RSLs that complete a long RSR form. RSLs with fewer than 250 units are not required to complete a long RSR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what bonuses were paid to the (a) chief executives and (b) directors of the 10 largest registered social landlords in each of the last five years. (107944)

The Housing Corporation does not require registered social landlords to disclose the details of bonuses paid to their chief executives and directors, although some do so as a matter of good practice. We are therefore unable to provide this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many registered social landlords are achieving Government targets. (107948)

The Government do not set targets for registered social landlords (RSLs), which are independent organisations, registered with and regulated by the Housing Corporation. All RSLs must comply with the Housing Corporation's regulatory code and statutory guidance which set out its requirements in the areas of governance, management and financial viability. For all associations with more than 250 units the Corporation produces an annual assessment which rates performance in these areas, plus where relevant in the area of development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of households on housing waiting lists in (a) each English region and (b) each London local authority were from black and ethnic minority communities in 2005. (108037)

Information on the ethnic breakdown of households on the waiting list for social housing is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with local authorities on planned new social housing in Coventry. (108414)

There have been no specific discussions between the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and local authorities in relation to plans for new social housing in Coventry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what projections she has made of the number of additional households there will be in each region in the period 2003 to 2026; how many of these additional households she expects to be as a result of migration in each region; and what assessment she has made of the impact of migration on housing demand and infrastructure on London and the South East. (108820)

The estimated number of additional households in England and each region between 2003 and 2026 were published in the statistical release of 14 March 2006:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l002882&PressNoticeID=2097

An estimate of the projected household growth attributable to migration is only available for England as a whole. This shows 65,000 (31 per cent.) out of the 209,000 additional households per annum are attributable to migration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many unoccupied homes there were in (a) Somerset and (b) England in each month of each of the last five years. (109004)

[holding answer 13 December 2006]: There is no monthly information on vacancies available centrally.

The following numbers of vacant dwellings were reported by districts in Somerset and for the whole of England in the last five years:

Snapshot date

Somerset

England

2001

1 April

n/a

753,100

2002

1 November

5,946

758,100

2003

3 November

6,136

743,800

2004

1 November

6,268

714,000

2005

10 October

6,915

723,200

n/a = Figure not available

Source:

Council Tax Base (CTB1) returns for 2002-2005 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix for 2001.

Somerset is defined as the districts of Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset, Taunton and West Somerset.

These figures include empty homes for sale and houses which have been unoccupied for a very short period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of net migration on (a) housing demand in England over the last five years and (b) future housing demand in England. (102565)

The Department for Communities and Local Government’s 2003 based household projections for England, estimate that out of 209,000 additional households per year between 2003 and 2026, about 65,000 per year (31 per cent.) is attributable to net migration into England.