Skip to main content

Council Housing: Rents

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps he has taken to assist local councils to reduce the levels of rent charged to their tenants. (278227)

Following the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) on 6 March 2009, Official Report, columns 71-72WS, we have consulted on and issued an Amending Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Determination for 2009-10 on 20 May. This will provide additional subsidy of around £175 million to compensate those councils in England that reduce their rent increases in accordance the Government's decision to offer local authorities a reduction in the 2009-10 national average guideline rent increase from 6.2 per cent. to 3.1 per cent. Local authorities are responsible for making decisions on the rent levels they apply to their social home tenancies.