To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2007, Official Report, column 988W, on housing: disabled, whether there will be a national mutual exchange scheme which provides its services free of charge to replace those schemes run by Scout Solutions Ltd. which her Department has recently terminated. (130828)

The Government have replaced the mutual exchange scheme, which was facilitated by Scout Solutions Projects Ltd., with a number of alternative providers offering a free of charge service. These services can be accessed via the Governments’ website www.direct.gov.co.uk/socialhousing. This link also provides information on a wide range of housing related matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what total amount her Department allocated to Hartlepool Borough Council for disabled facilities grants in each of the last five years; and if she will increase in real terms the amount provided in each of the next three years. (131394)

The following table details Hartlepool council’s allocations from central Government funding for the last five years.

DFG funding for the next three years will be decided as part of the comprehensive spending review (CSR). I cannot pre-empt any funding decisions ahead of the CSR.