Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Cunningham Excerpts

Monday 30th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of rent arrears in social housing.

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

7. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of rent arrears in social housing.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Stephen Williams)]

According to the Homes and Communities Agency, at the end of 2013-14, the average level of rent arrears among larger housing associations was 3.6%, an improvement from 4.1% over the previous quarter.

[Stephen Williams]

According to the information I have, the number of people affected by the social size criteria has fallen across Bolton, from 3,215 households when the policy started in May 2013 to 2,775 now, so there seems to be some discrepancy in the figures.

[Alex Cunningham]

Across Stockton borough, arrears for Tristar Homes are up by 25%, to nearly £1.2 million, on the year prior to the introduction of the bedroom tax, and they would be up by 60% if both Tristar Homes and the local authority were not helping with some discretionary aid. Several hundred people, many of them disabled, are in arrears for the first time in their lives, causing unseen misery and even shame. Was it really the Secretary of State’s intention to grind such people into the ground?

[Stephen Williams]

It is not the intention of either the Secretary of State or me to grind anyone into the ground. The whole point of applying size criteria to the social sector is to match the criteria that already exist in the private rented sector, and they existed throughout the entire 13-years period that the hon. Gentleman’s party was in government. The policy is about fairness to taxpayers as well as to tenants. For those tenants who have difficulty moving, Stockton council, like all local authorities, has discretionary housing payments in order to help them through the process.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Pickles]

I have some sympathy with what my hon. Friend says. Lord Hanningfield brought great shame on local government and the House of Lords. He should do what he can to repay the money.

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

Is the Minister aware of any recent progress with the Cleveland fire authority mutualisation proposal?

[Brandon Lewis]

I have not heard anything further from the authority since I met the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues some weeks ago.