To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty homes in the private and social sectors she plans to bring back into use; and if she will make a statement. (153792)

We are committed to reducing the number of empty homes and in particular the number of homes that are left empty for long periods of time. The Government do not set a national target for the number of empty homes to be brought back into use as this can be affected by local housing market conditions. However, the Housing Green Paper makes it clear that local authorities should do more to tackle empty homes and we are exploring ways to achieve an increase in activity. We consider that all local authorities should have in place comprehensive strategies on how they intend to deal with empty homes. Many local authorities set their own empty homes targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on her plans to encourage a greater take-up of empty dwelling management orders. (153793)

The Housing Green Paper makes it clear that local authorities should do more to tackle empty homes as part of a wider strategy of increasing housing supply and we are exploring and consulting on ways to achieve this. We consider that all local authorities should have in place strategies on how they intend to deal with empty homes. We expect such strategies to identify and address the different reasons for empty homes.

Enforcement action to bring empty homes back into use should only be considered as a last resort when voluntary measures have proved unsuccessful. We are therefore keen to ensure that local authorities adopt empty dwelling management orders as part of a comprehensive strategy that encompasses a wide range of options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty homes there were in (a) South Cambridgeshire and (b) East Cambridgeshire in each of the last five years. (153764)

Estimates for vacant dwellings in the local authority areas of East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire since 2002 are tabulated. These include vacancies up to six months and long term vacancies over six months. These are as reported by local authorities through the Council Tax Base (CTB1) form and present vacant dwellings receiving some or a full discount on council tax.