MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF COUNCIL HOUSING

Early day motion 1459, tabled 29 April 2008 by Brian Iddon (Labour). Signed by 47 members.

That this House notes that the Government is undertaking a review of housing revenue accounts (HRAs); further notes that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, in its June 2003 report Estimate of Need to Spend on Management and Maintenance of Local Authority Housing Stock, showed that management and maintenance allowances only cover 55 per cent. of actual costs; further notes that the March 2008 Department of Communities and Local Government report on HRA financing found that the major repairs allowance covers only 70 per cent. of long-term repair costs; believes that the council house tenant is currently contributing to a debt on council housing that should be seen as a community asset and met from general taxation; further believes that the capital receipts from right-to-buy sales should be reinvested in local authority housing; and calls on the Government to take these matters, highlighted by the Moonlight Robbery Campaign, into consideration in reaching its conclusions on HRAs.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Liberal Democrat 10, Independent 2, Conservative 1, DUP 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.