[holding answer 4 March 2009]: I have been asked to reply.
The Carbon Challenge was launched in February 2007. This initiative has been developed by the Homes and Communities Agency on behalf of the Department. It is aimed at helping the house-building industry accelerate its response to climate change through innovation and the development of skills. Homes delivered through the Carbon Challenge will be designed to meet the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes and will emit net zero carbon in the course of a year.
The Homes and Communities Agency has allocated £750,000 to the initiative over a three year period from 2007-08 until 2009-10. To date overall expenditure has amounted to £341,017 on the first phase of four sites which are owned by the public sector. This covers matters such as the development of the generic brief for the sites, the provision of advice to partners as well as monitoring and evaluation.