Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 9 July 2008.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he has allocated to rural housing enablers for 2009-10.
DEFRA has allocated no funds to rural housing enablers (RHEs) for 2009-10.
DEFRA has never had a funding stream allocated specifically for RHEs. In April 2006 DEFRA launched the Rural Social and Community Programme (RSCP) which provided investment funding for locally-defined priorities set by partnerships of local organisations. Some of these partnerships developed time-limited projects involving RHEs.
The RSCP came to a long-anticipated conclusion in March 2008. It was always very explicit that there would be no commitment to fund any projects under the RSCP beyond the two-year programme. Indeed, the guidance for those seeking funding under the RSCP noted that all projects should draw up an 'exit strategy' to identify how they would develop beyond the time-limited period of that programme.
The work done by RHEs is now funded in a wide variety of ways across the country. The clear vision for the long-term funding of RHEs has always been that they should be supported at local level by the very local authorities and housing associations whose rural delivery they exist to support. I am pleased to note that in many areas across the country this is happening. Ultimately however, these are decisions for local delivery agents to take in the light of local needs and circumstances.
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