To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 4 February 2009, Official Report, column 1293W, on mortgages: Government assistance, what criteria her Department uses to define an ordinary hard-working household. (273596)

The eligibility criteria for Homeowners Mortgage Support are designed to ensure that this scheme helps hard-working households who are having difficulties with their mortgage repayments to avoid the threat of repossession.

The eligibility criteria include households demonstrating that they have had a temporary loss of income from employment or self-employment of a scale which affects the household's ability to make full mortgage payments, but which is not expected to be a permanent loss of income. Households must also have no savings in excess of £16,000. Full eligibility criteria are available at

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Keepingyourhomeevictionsandhomelessness/Mortgagesandrepossessions/DG_177639

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing associations are yet to receive Government funding in respect of the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. (273700)

The Government’s Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational since 1 January, supported by a network of 23 registered social landlord (RSL) mortgage rescue providers covering every local authority area in England. Further RSLs who wish to offer the scheme are being encouraged to do so in partnership with the lead provider for the area.

Under the scheme’s financial framework there is absolute flexibility to direct the available resources to those areas with the greatest demand. This will be kept under review. Funding is drawn down once a rescue is complete and the RSL provider has submitted a grant claim to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many eligible applications have been received under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme. (274181)

The scheme opened with the first group of lenders on 21 April. Borrowers apply to the Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme through their lender. Before being admitted to the scheme, they need to take money advice. We have worked with the participating lenders to produce a proportionate reporting system. This will provide statistics which will be published on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 139W, on mortgages: government assistance (1) what the terms of a typical loan offered under the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund will be; and by what date she expects the first household to be in receipt of such a loan; (274893)

The Department will write shortly to all local authorities setting out further details about use of the Repossession and Eviction Prevention Fund. The funding, which is administered through the Homelessness Revenue Grant Programme, under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003, will be allocated to local authorities in June so that it is available to provide help to households as quickly as possible. Our advice to local authorities will set out that loans from the fund should not exceed a value of £5,000 per household and interest will not be charged. Information about the fund will be added to the range of support available to households and publicised for example through the DirectGov website.