To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has commissioned research into the legality of giving priority in social housing allocation policies to local residents; and if he will make a statement. (290424)

Under the Housing Act 1996, local authorities may take into account any local connection which exists between an applicant and the authority’s area, in determining priority between those in the reasonable preference categories.

New statutory guidance, which we have published for consultation, (“Fair and Flexible”, July 2009) reinforces the message that local authorities have flexibility to take into account local needs and priorities when determining their allocation policies, including local connection.

Allocation schemes that include local connection should not discriminate against any ethnic group and must comply with the relevant equalities legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have been on social housing waiting lists in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North-East and (d) England in each of the last five years. (291544)

The number of households registered on social housing waiting lists in each local authority, as at 1 April each year from 1997 to 2008, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is given as follows:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table600.xls

This information is not available for constituencies.