Question
House prices in Mid Cheshire are nearly £20,000 higher than the regional average and have continued to rise over the last year. The Your First Home scheme will be a big help for my constituents, but it is also important that we increase the number of affordable homes being built. The National Housing Federation estimated that we could have delivered an additional 41,000 homes outside of London in the latest round of the social and affordable homes programme. What steps is the Minister taking to increase the funding available in the early years of the social and affordable homes programme?
Answer
As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Chancellor committed an additional £1.5 billion for the social and affordable homes programme at the Budget, taking its total allocation to over £40 billion. In August, we announced initial funding allocations for the programme, with £9.58 billion being awarded to 33 strategic partners outside of London. Over £16 billion remains available outside of London across the lifetime of the programme. Homes England will confirm scheme-by-scheme allocations via the continuous market engagement route in the usual way.
Verdict: AMBER (48/100)
The reply gives concrete, direct figures: an extra £1.5 billion committed at the Budget and £9.58 billion in initial allocations to 33 strategic partners in August. However, it presents the £1.5 billion as a whole-programme increase rather than explaining what is being done to raise early-years funding specifically. It leans on lifetime totals instead, so the core question is only partly answered. The asker would likely need to follow up to get a clear account of early-years funding.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the Department doing about increasing the funding available in the early years of the social and affordable homes programme? | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply gives concrete figures: an extra £1.5 billion committed at the Budget, and £9.58 billion of initial allocations to 33 strategic partners in August, which is the near-term funding the question asks about. However, the £1.5 billion is presented as a whole-programme increase rather than an early-years increase, and the reply leans on lifetime totals (over £40 billion, over £16 billion remaining) instead of explaining what is being done to raise early-years funding specifically. |