Oral Answers to Questions — Environment – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 February 1991.
Mr Archy Kirkwood
, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
12:00,
27 February 1991
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to increase the availability of low-cost rented accommodation; and if he will make a statement.
George Young
Minister (Department of Environment) (Housing)
The Government have taken a variety of measures to increase the supply of low-cost rented housing. Public resources through the Housing Corporation for the development of new housing by housing associations will increase from £1·2 billion this year to over £2 billion by 1993–94. Together with associations' new ability to draw in private investment, that will permit an increase in output from 21,000 last year to about 40,000 by 1993–94. Deregulation of the private rented sector, the business expansion scheme, the exceptions planning policy for low-cost housing in rural areas and the estate action programme are also helping to make more properties available for rent.
Mr Archy Kirkwood
, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
Notwithstanding the increase in housing association and Housing Corporation cash that the Minister has just announced, does he accept that funding does not begin to match the demand and need identified by the Housing Corporation and the housing associations for long-term provision of housing? Will he think again about the possibility of increasing that budget?
Provided that the standards of provision are adequate, will the Minister consider making it easier to give financial incentives to those who have spare rooms to make them available and so bring people off the streets as a transitional stage towards the provision of longer-term accommodation?
George Young
Minister (Department of Environment) (Housing)
I have sympathy with the hon. Gentleman's point, which is also constantly pressed on me by my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman)—the concept of the friendly landlady. However, it is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the exchequer because it involves tax incentives. Of course, I shall ensure that the hon. Gentleman's suggestion is brought to his attention.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
