Social Rented Housing: Standards Sarah Teather To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social homes in each region have not reached the Decent Homes standard; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of bringing such homes up to the standard. Mr. Ian Austin The following table provides the information requested: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Non-decent dwellings|Total stock|Percentage non-decent| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |North East |72,000 |274,000 |26 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |North West |94,000 |576,000 |16 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Yorkshire and the Humber |104,000 |424,000 |24 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |East Midlands |53,000 |305,000 |17 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |West Midlands |62,000 |424,000 |15 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |East of England |54,000 |387,000 |14 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |London |175,000 |786,000 |22 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |South East |58,000 |483,000 |12 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |South West |41,000 |306,000 |13 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |England |714,000 |3,965,000 |18 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source: Annual returns, from all LAs that retain social housing stock, to Communities and Local Government and annual return from registered social landlords.| | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Landlord statistical returns show that the 18 per cent. of the social housing stock is non-decent compared to 38 per cent. in 2002. The cost per house of meeting the decent homes standard varies across the country and the Department does not collect that information. Some landlords are refurbishing the houses in their area above the decent homes standard. Any higher local standard, and how that is to be achieved, will be determined by local circumstances and the level of resources that can be delivered into the programme locally. The Government expect over £40 billion to have been spent on refurbishing council houses by 2010.