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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| Local homes pledge 'is unlawful' | Local homes pledge 'is unlawful' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Equality legislation would torpedo plans to give local people greater priority on waiting lists for council housing, the Conservatives have warned. | Equality legislation would torpedo plans to give local people greater priority on waiting lists for council housing, the Conservatives have warned. |
| The prime minister has told MPs he wants to allow councils to give additional preference to locals. | The prime minister has told MPs he wants to allow councils to give additional preference to locals. |
| But Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps said the measure was a "sham" as it would be illegal under existing law and the forthcoming Equality Bill. | But Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps said the measure was a "sham" as it would be illegal under existing law and the forthcoming Equality Bill. |
| The funding of a £1.5bn building programme has also been questioned. | The funding of a £1.5bn building programme has also been questioned. |
| Details of the plans are due to be spelled out by housing minister John Healey, in a speech in Harrogate. | Details of the plans are due to be spelled out by housing minister John Healey, in a speech in Harrogate. |
| 'Unable to deliver' | 'Unable to deliver' |
| On Monday, Gordon Brown pledged to "reform social housing allocation - enabling local authorities to give more priority to local people whose names have been on waiting lists for far too long". | On Monday, Gordon Brown pledged to "reform social housing allocation - enabling local authorities to give more priority to local people whose names have been on waiting lists for far too long". |
| The announcement was seen, in part, as a response to the growth in a few traditional Labour areas of BNP support. | The announcement was seen, in part, as a response to the growth in a few traditional Labour areas of BNP support. |
| But Mr Shapps said it would be scuppered by a new duty to tackle socio-economic disadvantage when making "strategic decisions" included in the Equality Bill, due to be piloted by Commons leader Harriet Harman. | But Mr Shapps said it would be scuppered by a new duty to tackle socio-economic disadvantage when making "strategic decisions" included in the Equality Bill, due to be piloted by Commons leader Harriet Harman. |
| He added that existing law also required councils to give "reasonable preference" to the homeless, people in overcrowded or unsatisfactory housing, and those with welfare or medical problems. | He added that existing law also required councils to give "reasonable preference" to the homeless, people in overcrowded or unsatisfactory housing, and those with welfare or medical problems. |
| We are cutting off our nose to spite our face Austin Mitchell MP Mortgage plan helps six families | We are cutting off our nose to spite our face Austin Mitchell MP Mortgage plan helps six families |
| Mr Shapps said Mr Brown's remarks were merely "spin" which had been "pitched at Labour's disillusioned core vote". | Mr Shapps said Mr Brown's remarks were merely "spin" which had been "pitched at Labour's disillusioned core vote". |
| He added: "Under existing legislation and Harman's new equality law, local people will not have priority for local homes. | He added: "Under existing legislation and Harman's new equality law, local people will not have priority for local homes. |
| "Housing waiting list policies need reform and we need more affordable homes. But Labour are unable to deliver the change we need." | "Housing waiting list policies need reform and we need more affordable homes. But Labour are unable to deliver the change we need." |
| Meanwhile, Austin Mitchell, who chairs the all-party group on council housing, has warned that money for improving existing council houses must not be diverted to pay for 20,000 new homes promised by Gordon Brown. | Meanwhile, Austin Mitchell, who chairs the all-party group on council housing, has warned that money for improving existing council houses must not be diverted to pay for 20,000 new homes promised by Gordon Brown. |
| The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has been told to find half of the cost and has refused to rule out taking some from its Decent Homes Initiative. | The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has been told to find half of the cost and has refused to rule out taking some from its Decent Homes Initiative. |
| Underspends in other Whitehall departments are to be used to pay for the rest of the cost of building the new homes, which was a key part of a raft of new policies announced on Monday, seen as an attempt to relaunch the government. | Underspends in other Whitehall departments are to be used to pay for the rest of the cost of building the new homes, which was a key part of a raft of new policies announced on Monday, seen as an attempt to relaunch the government. |
| The Times reported the DCLG had refused to accept it would foot half the bill - but Downing Street has said reports of a row over where the money will come from are "simply untrue" and there was an agreement. | The Times reported the DCLG had refused to accept it would foot half the bill - but Downing Street has said reports of a row over where the money will come from are "simply untrue" and there was an agreement. |
| But a spokesman said the DCLG had still to finalise the details of how this money was to be "re-prioritised" from within its budget. | But a spokesman said the DCLG had still to finalise the details of how this money was to be "re-prioritised" from within its budget. |
| The DCLG also said that there was no disagreement with Downing Street, although no single programme had been identified for cuts to pay for the homes. | The DCLG also said that there was no disagreement with Downing Street, although no single programme had been identified for cuts to pay for the homes. |
| A further £750m is due to come from under spending by other government departments, including health and the Home Office. | A further £750m is due to come from under spending by other government departments, including health and the Home Office. |
| Schools Secretary Ed Balls confirmed that £200m was being transferred from his department's budget to the DCLG to help pay for new homes. | Schools Secretary Ed Balls confirmed that £200m was being transferred from his department's budget to the DCLG to help pay for new homes. |
| He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it would come from a £400m reserve set aside in case private firms did not want to engage in private finance initiatives during the recession. | He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it would come from a £400m reserve set aside in case private firms did not want to engage in private finance initiatives during the recession. |
| He said it now appeared that would not be needed. | He said it now appeared that would not be needed. |
| 'Not happy' | 'Not happy' |
| A DCLG spokesman denied any rift with Number 10 over the funding but said it was not yet ready to announce exactly where it would find the money. | A DCLG spokesman denied any rift with Number 10 over the funding but said it was not yet ready to announce exactly where it would find the money. |
| He refused to rule out diverting cash earmarked for bringing all council and social housing up to scratch under the Decent Homes initiative. | He refused to rule out diverting cash earmarked for bringing all council and social housing up to scratch under the Decent Homes initiative. |
| Mr Mitchell said: "I am not happy at all that money will be transferred. | Mr Mitchell said: "I am not happy at all that money will be transferred. |
| "The Decent Homes Initiative is an effort to meet the manifesto commitment of 2005 to make every council house and social house a decent house. | "The Decent Homes Initiative is an effort to meet the manifesto commitment of 2005 to make every council house and social house a decent house. |
| "Councils have been so squeezed financially that they are not able to complete the programme. | "Councils have been so squeezed financially that they are not able to complete the programme. |
| "We are cutting off our nose to spite our face." | "We are cutting off our nose to spite our face." |
| Right-to-buy | Right-to-buy |
| Housing minister John Healey will explain to council leaders the outcome of a council housing finance review, which could see councils returning to large-scale home building. | |
| Mr Brown said the government was consulting on whether to allow councils to keep all the money raised from council house sales and rent. | Mr Brown said the government was consulting on whether to allow councils to keep all the money raised from council house sales and rent. |
| The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England, has welcomed the extra investment but pointed out only 4% of its properties were let to non-UK residents last year. | The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England, has welcomed the extra investment but pointed out only 4% of its properties were let to non-UK residents last year. |
| Currently, council tenants' rent and proceeds from right-to-buy sales go into a national pot for redistribution. | Currently, council tenants' rent and proceeds from right-to-buy sales go into a national pot for redistribution. |
| Some councils get money back while others have to pay a negative subsidy to the government. If they were to keep the money, councils may be able to build and repair more homes. | Some councils get money back while others have to pay a negative subsidy to the government. If they were to keep the money, councils may be able to build and repair more homes. |
| In the past two decades, very few homes have been built by councils as housing associations have been the main providers of social housing. | In the past two decades, very few homes have been built by councils as housing associations have been the main providers of social housing. |
| BBC local government correspondent John Andrew said he did not expect a return to the kind of mass council house building seen in the 1950s and 1960s. | BBC local government correspondent John Andrew said he did not expect a return to the kind of mass council house building seen in the 1950s and 1960s. |
| But he said it would go some way to meeting the huge unmet demand for social housing as the number on housing waiting lists approaches five million. | But he said it would go some way to meeting the huge unmet demand for social housing as the number on housing waiting lists approaches five million. |