I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 22 January 2007, Official Report, column 1521W, which provides information on the cost of council housing.
The decent homes target also includes reducing the number of vulnerable households living in non-decent homes in the private sector. As private landlords will determine what work they want to undertake and to what standard it is completed, we do not provide estimates of the costs of achieving the target for the private rented sector.
Good progress is being made. Of the 3.2 million vulnerable households living in the private sector in 2005, 66 per cent. (2.1 million) live in decent homes, according to the English house condition survey 2005). This percentage has increased from 57 per cent. in 2001 and 43 per cent. in 1996.
On 21 February the Department published a research report entitled “Decent Homes in the Social Sector” (www.communities.gov.uk/housing). The research was undertaken by the Building Research Establishment to help improve our understanding of what work local authorities and registered social landlords are doing to make homes decent and the impact of such work. We also monitor the progress of delivery of decent homes through the English house condition survey and the statistical returns made by social landlords.
The following table, from the English house condition survey, provides a breakdown of “vulnerable” households by decent and non-decent homes and by tenure. “Vulnerable” households are defined as those in receipt of principal means tested and disability related benefits, as listed in “A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementation—June 2006 update”.
Number (Thousand) Owner occupied Private rented All private All social 1996 Decent 880 196 1,076 1,487 Non-decent 929 504 1,433 1,648 2001 Decent 1,285 256 1,542 1,815 Non-decent 784 366 1,151 1,098 2003 Decent 1,506 277 1,783 1,874 Non-decent 722 335 1,056 978 2004 Decent 1,617 347 1,963 1,966 Non-decent 691 342 1,033 852 2005 Decent 1,697 387 2,084 2,037 Non-decent 709 362 1,071 786
Owner occupied Private rented All private All social 1996 Decent 48.6 28.0 42.9 47.4 Non-decent 51.4 72.0 57.1 52.6 2001 Decent 62.1 41.2 57.3 62.3 Non-decent 37.9 58.8 42.7 37.7 2003 Decent 67.6 45.3 62.8 65.7 Non-decent 32.4 54.7 37.2 34.3 2004 Decent 70.1 50.3 65.5 69.8 Non-decent 29.9 49.7 34.5 30.2 2005 Decent 70.5 51.7 66.1 72.2 Non-decent 29.5 48.3 33.9 27.8 Note: The net increase in private sector vulnerable households living in non-decent homes means that, while the proportion has continued to show good progress, the number (and therefore overall costs to tackle the problems) have made only modest improvement since 2001. Source: English House Condition Survey, Communities and Local Government.