Labour's Housing Policy - Back To The Bad Old Days

The Government has monitored the affordability of rents consistently since the Accommodation Supplement (AS) was introduced in July 1993, said Roger Sowry, Minister of Social Services, Work and Income.

He said Graham Kelly's comments on the lack of monitoring of the rental housing sector were "uninformed nonsense".

Late last year, at the meeting of the Social Services Committee Financial Review of the Ministry of Housing, the chief executive assured Mr Kelly the focus of its policy group was on the AS, affordability issues, and long-term trends.

"Mr Kelly conveniently fails to mention the recently completed AS research project carried out by Professor Kemp of Glasgow University, which concluded there were no significant defects or improvements needed in the current scheme."

"Labour is starting to realise that promising income-related rentals to state house tenants will do nothing for hundreds of thousands of low-income people who rent in the private sector," Mr Sowry said.

"The present policy for rental assistance through the AS is a very good one - it helps all those in need, and it adjusts as their needs adjust."

"Mr Kelly knows that focusing on the minority of low income families in state houses would just take us back to the bad old days of a favoured few."