To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 March 2009, Official Report, columns 71-2WS on local authority rents, what the timetable is for (a) additional subsidy to be granted and (b) rents to be reduced. (263033)

Communities and Local Government wrote to local authorities on 11 March with further information following the announcement on 6 March by the Minister for Housing, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), of the reduction by half in the national average guideline rent increase for 2009-10.

The letter sets out a broad timetable for implementation of the changes for those authorities accepting our offer. After a short period of consultation on new guideline rents for each authority, we envisage issuing the final 2009-10 amending Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy determination with reduced rental income for participating authorities in May. It would then be for those authorities to introduce the changes to their own timetables for reducing their tenants' rents.