To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) her Department and (b) the Homes and Communities Agency spent on the Affordable Housing Survey in each of the last three years; and how much she has allocated for expenditure on future such surveys. (272557)

[holding answer 5 May 2009]: Responsibility for the Affordable Housing Survey rests with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and as such, no funding was specifically allocated for the Affordable Housing Survey by my Department in the last three years, nor has any been specifically allocated for the next three.

The HCA, and previously the Housing Corporation, spent £25,000 in 2007-08 and £135,000 in 2008-09 on producing the Affordable Housing Survey. Nothing was spent on the survey in 2006-07. Decisions on allocations for the next three years will be made as apart of the agency's corporate planning process, which is currently under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on publicising each HomeBuy scheme in each of the last three years; and what promotional activities such expenditure funded. (272977)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 68W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties have been sold under the Homebuy scheme in each of the last five years. (273403)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1282W, to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather).

The following table shows the provisional figures of homes provided under each of the HomeBuy schemes in 2008-09 through the Homes and Communities Agency’s Affordable Housing Programme.

Provisional figures indicate that there have been no homes completed under the HomeBuy Direct scheme in 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing units have been (a) bought and (b) sold in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years. (274242)

The following table shows the number of units acquired for social rent by local authorities and registered social landlords in Essex and Castle Point in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Total social rented housing is provided by new build completions, as well as acquisitions. For example, in 2007-08, a total of 10 additional social rented homes were provided in Castle Point (through both new build and acquisitions), and 880 additional social rented homes were provided in Essex (new build and acquisitions).

The following table shows the number of social housing units sold by local authorities and registered social landlords in Essex and Castle Point in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of shared ownership properties vacant at the latest date for which figures are available. (274710)

The number of unsold housing association shared ownership properties for the period of January to March 2009 was 8,742. This is down 16 per cent. from the previous quarter where the figure was 10,359. As with all home purchases, transactions can take between three to six months to complete. The total number of homes unsold for more than six months dropped from 4,629 last quarter to 3,771, down 19 per cent.