Phew! From the rate John Healey is chalking up the announcements this week anyone would think that MPs are about to go on holiday for three months.
The hyperactive housing minister despatched another set of loose ends into his out tray this morning in ‘a further boost for housing’ that made a clutch of new announcements and also filled in the blanks of some old ones.
This after a week that had already seen him unveil approval for the first four eco-towns and a planning policy statement, a new defintion of zero carbon homes, a new planning regime for major infrastructure projects.
He also found the time to tell MPs on the Communities and Local Government committee that local authorities can fast-track their way out of the housing revenue account (HRA) and endure a Conservative barrage over eco-towns on the airwaves yesterday.
In today’s announcement [should be here later] Healey revealed £1.7bn for the housing private finance initiative and allocations for housing market renewal pathfinders plus more details about how the Homes and Communities Agency is splashing all that cash.
He confirmed a -2% floor for housing association rents next year, which he said ‘strikes a balance between the interests of tenants, and the need to support investment in new affordable housing as well as improving existing homes and services’.
Given that he’s also revealed plans to scrap the HRA and spend an extra £1.5bn on new homes recently, it’s hard to believe he’s only been in the job for six weeks.
He also gave a tantalizing glimpse of the struggle to come across several different departments and agencies to fund that £1.5bn. Some £930m will come from the departments of Business, Innovation and Skills, Transport, Children, Schools and Families, Home Office and Health. CLG money will be switched from the growth fund, the decent homes ALMO programme and private sector renewal. And the HCA will have to deliver 3% efficiency savings ‘plus the requirement to find £183m through efficient and flexible management of its housing and regeneration programmes’.
Sounds like it’s well past time for a holiday. Except of course if you’re a civil servant or official charged with achieving all that, in which case you’ll probably be chained to your desk for the summer.
But consider this. Parliament goes into recess on Tuesday with Healey six weeks into his job as housing minister. If he lasts as long as the last two, by the time MPs return in October he will only have six weeks left in the job.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment