Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors were taken into account when deciding that Supporting People agencies should be able to require efficiency savings of home improvement agencies.

Mr. Woolas
Individual Supporting People administering authorities, not “Supporting People agencies”, are responsible for the local delivery of Supporting People services including Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs). Authorities manage this by establishing contracts with service providers, and they are responsible for managing their funding and so for delivering on any efficiencies that are required.

Communities and Local Government is developing a Supporting People national value improvement programme from 2008 in which all Supporting People authorities will be encouraged to adopt improved commissioning and procurement practices to help to further improve overall value for money in the provision of all services.