Housing Act 1985

MiscellaneousE+W

429 The improvement for sale scheme.E+W

(1)The Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, make schemes for making contributions to the net cost (as determined under the schemes) to local housing authorities of disposing of dwellings where the authority—

(a)disposes of a house as one dwelling,

(b)divides a house into two or more separate dwellings and disposes of them, or

(c)combines two houses to form one dwelling and disposes of it,

after carrying out works of repair, improvement or conversion.

(2)The cost towards which contributions may be made under such a scheme shall not exceed, for any one dwelling—

(a)in respect of a dwelling in Greater London, £10,000.

(b)elsewhere, £7,500,

or such other amount as may be prescribed by order of the Secretary of State made with the consent of the Treasury.

(3)An order under this section—

(a)may make different provision in respect of different cases or descriptions of case, including different provision for different areas, and

(b)shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(4)In this section “house” includes a flat.

[F1429A Housing management: financial assistance etc. E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may, F2 . . ., give financial assistance—

(a)to persons managing public sector or former public sector housing, and

(b)to persons seeking to facilitate or encourage improvements in, or providing services in connection with, the management of such housing;

and may, F2 . . ., make payments otherwise than by way of financial assistance in pursuance of arrangements made with any such person.

(2)For this purpose—

(a) “ public sector housing ” means housing accommodation in which an authority or body within section 80 (the landlord condition for secure tenancies) [F3 or subsection (2A) ] has an interest by virtue of which it receives a rack-rent, or would do so if the premises were let at a rack-rent; and

(b) “ former public sector housing ” means housing accommodation in which such an authority, or a predecessor of such an authority or an authority abolished by the Local Government Act 1985 formerly had such an interest.

[F3( 2A )Subsection (2)(a) applies to the following bodies—

F4( a ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5( b ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c)a housing trust which is a charity;

(d)a [F6private registered provider of social housing, or a registered social landlord,] other than a co-operative housing association; and

[F7(e)a co-operative housing association which is [F8neither a private registered provider of social housing nor a registered social landlord].]]

[F9(2B) The reference in subsection (2)(a) to a body within subsection (2A) includes the Secretary of State if he has the interest as the result of the exercise by him (or Housing for Wales) of functions under Part III of the M1 Housing Associations Act 1985. ]

(3) The Secretary of State may, F2 . . ., give financial assistance—

(a)to persons providing educational or training courses in housing management,

(b)to persons providing services for those providing such courses, and

(c)to persons providing financial or other assistance for those attending such courses;

and may, F2 . . ., make payments otherwise than by way of financial assistance in pursuance of arrangements made with any such person.

(4)Financial assistance given by the Secretary of State under subsection (1) or (3) may be given in any form, and may in particular be given by way of grants, loans or guarantees or by incurring expenditure for the benefit of the person assisted; but the Secretary of State shall not in giving such assistance purchase loan or share capital in a company.

(5) Financial assistance may be given and other payments made on such terms as the Secretary of State, F10 . . ., considers appropriate; and the terms may, in particular, include provision as to the circumstances in which the assistance or other payment must be repaid or otherwise made good to the Secretary of State and the manner in which that is to be done.

(6)A person receiving financial assistance under this section shall comply with the terms on which it is given and compliance may be enforced by the Secretary of State.]

430

— . . . F11

431 Control of expenditure by housing authorities on works of conversion or improvement.E+W

(1)A local authority or [F12development] corporation may not incur expenses in—

(a)providing dwellings by the conversion of houses or other buildings, or

(b)carrying out works required for the improvement of dwellings, with or without associated works of repair,

except in accordance with proposals submitted by the authority or corporation to the Secretary of State and for the time being approved by him.

(2)The Secretary of State’s approval may be given subject to such conditions, and may be varied in such circumstances, as appear to him to be appropriate; but before varying the terms of an approval he shall consult the authority or corporation concerned.

(3)In this section “dwelling” has the same meaning as in Part XV (grants for works of improvement, repair and conversion).

432 Superseded contributions, subsidies, grants, and other financial matters.E+W

The provisions of Schedule 15 have effect with respect to superseded contributions, subsidies, grants and other financial matters, as follows—

• Part I—Loans under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts 1926 to 1942.

• F13. . .

• Part III—Contributions for improvement of dwellings by housing authorities.

• Part IV—Town development subsidy.