To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase the availability of affordable housing in (a) Windsor and (b) the South East of England. (148785)

[holding answer 12 July 2007]: The future level and distribution of housing provision across the South East will be determined by the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the South East. The draft RSS (South East Plan) affordable housing policy proposes that the future provision of affordable housing in the region should have regard to the overall regional target that 25 per cent. of all new housing should be social rented accommodation and 10 per cent. other forms of affordable housing. The policies contained in the draft RSS, including those relating to future plans for affordable housing provision were the subject of an Examination in Public by an Independent Panel. The Panel are due to hand their report to Government on 31 July 2007. The Panel Report will be published by the Government as soon as practicable following that date. Any proposed changes to the Draft RSS by the Government will be published for a further statutory consultation later in the year.

To pre-empt the outcome of the Panel Report and the Statutory Process by making a statement at this time would not be appropriate.

The Draft RSS (South East Plan) proposes an annual average of 281 net dwelling completions in Windsor and Maidenhead and an annual average of 28,900 in the region during the period between 2006 and 2026.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes were built in West Sussex in each year since 1997. (151783)

[holding answer 23 July 2007]: The numbers of affordable homes built in West Sussex in each financial year since 1997-98 are presented in the following table. West Sussex has been taken to include the local authority areas of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Worthing. Affordable housing includes both social rent and intermediate housing (e.g. low cost home ownership).

Not all affordable housing supply is through new build completions, supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. Between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2006 an additional 1,500 affordable homes were supplied through acquisitions which are not shown in the following table. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.