MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF COUNCIL HOUSES

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the Government's target of decent homes for all council tenants by 2010-11 and the significantly increased investment in public sector housing; notes that the Government's current management and maintenance (M&M) allowances fall significantly short of the need established by the Building Research Establishment in Government funded research; further notes that a council tenant pays on average over £580 a year and £1.3 billion nationally more in rent than the combined total of the M&M allowance and major repair allowance; further notes that the Government's rent restructuring programme is raising rents significantly above the level of inflation; and calls on the Government to close this funding gap by increasing the M&M allowance, in order to manage and maintain council homes to a decent standard on an ongoing basis.