To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were purchased under the National Clearing House scheme in each of the last three years; and how many such homes were subsequently (a) sold, (b) used for affordable rent, (c) purchased under shared ownership and (d) unused. (300447)

The Housing Corporation, the Homes and Communities Agency’s predecessor, set up the National Clearing House to streamline initial assessment of national packages of at least 250 units from private sector house builders and operated during 2008-09.

Allocations through the National Clearing House and the purchase of unsold stock from developers through the National Affordable Housing Programme allocated a total of £350 million to provide 9,600 affordable homes in 2008-09. Of these homes some 6,300 were to be used for social rent and 3,300 for low cost home ownership.