Ian Austin (Minister of State (the West Midlands), Regional Affairs; Dudley North, Labour)

Numbers of new lets are reported by local authorities annually, through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA), covering the period 1 April to 31 March. For local authorities, new lets are defined as the number of lets given to tenants new to the reporting local authority. A table providing the number of new lets in 2007-08 has been placed in the Library. Figures for 2008-09 have not yet been published.

Numbers of new lets by registered social landlords are available via the Continuous Recording of Lettings system (CORE), covering the period 1 April to 31 March. For registered social landlords, new lets are defined as the number of lets given to tenants new to social housing as a whole. A table providing the number of lets made by registered social landlords in 2008-09 has been placed in the Library.

Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009

Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available).

A table of the number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, by each local authority over the last 12 months (from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009), has been placed in the Library.