Vol. 490 No. 5
66 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he intends to alter the programme for social housing to widen the options available to local authority housing applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10545/98]
Local authorities were advised on 16 March last that, in order to boost activity under the scheme of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing, additional funding of £1 million was being provided for the scheme in 1998. Furthermore, I announced a significant widening of the eligibility criteria for shared ownership and local authority housing loans as part of the Government's "Action on House Prices" package on 23 April last. The annual rental charge to the householder in respect of the local authority's share of the equity in shared ownership houses was also reduced from 5 per cent to 4.5 per cent of the value of the equity for shared ownership transactions entered into on or after 1 May 1998.
I will keep the social housing measures under ongoing review.
