To ask Her Majesty's Government what account the Audit Commission took of the role of good design in its publication Building Better Lives. [HL6039]

This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the noble Baroness direct.

Letter from Steve Bundred, Chief Executive, Audit Commission, dated 6 November 2009.

Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me for reply.

The Audit Commission did not look explicitly at the role of good design in its national study on the strategic housing role. The report Building better lives—Getting the best from strategic housing reports councils' concerns that affordable housing targets encouraged them to build large numbers of small flats even if that was not the type of housing that best met the needs of their locality. If councils are prepared to allow such an interpretation of targets to colour their housing strategy, this suggests that the strategy is neither robust enough nor founded in understanding of local needs.

A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of the External Advisory Group for the Audit Commission publication Building Better Lives had expertise in design. [HL6040]

This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the noble Baroness direct.

Letter from Steve Bundred, Chief Executive, Audit Commission, dated 6 November 2009.

Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me for reply.

The External Advisory Group, the members of which are listed below, comprised experts from the housing and academic world. It included people from the public and private sector with experience in planning, commissioning new housing and strategic housing management. As the focus of the study was on the strategic housing role, not specifically on new build or design, we did not seek specific design expertise for the advisory group.

Members of the External Advisory Group:

Alan Murie, Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham;

Andrew Griffiths, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health;

Howard Revill, National Audit Office;

Ian Potter, Association of Residential Lettings Agents;

Jenny Allen, National Housing Federation;

Martin Field, East Midlands Development Agency;

Nick Hooper, Bristol City Council;

Reniera O'Donnell, Improvement and Development Agency;

Ric Pallister, South Somerset Council;

Richard Bayley, Places For People;

Richard Capie, Chartered Institute of Housing;

Rob Cogings, Derbyshire Dales & High Peak Council;

Roy Donson, Barrett Developers;

Ruth Lucas, Local Government Association; and

Tony Hatch, Communities and Local Government.

A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what liaison the Audit Commission had with the Homes and Communities Agency over its publication Building Better Lives in respect of the role of good design. [HL6041]

This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the noble Baroness direct.

Letter from Steve Bundred, Chief Executive, Audit Commission, dated 6 November 2009.

Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me for reply.

The Audit Commission interviewed a variety of stakeholders as part of its research into the strategic housing role of local authorities. These included the chief executive and head of policy at the Homes and Communities Agency. We also shared a draft of the report with the Homes and Communities Agency and invited comments. However, the role of good design was not a focus of the study and we asked no specific questions of the Homes and Communities Agency or of other stakeholders about it.

A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.