Ex-Whitehall Chief Criticises Right-To-Buy Housing Policy

The former head of the civil service will denounce the government’s flagship plan to extend the “right to buy” to 1.3 million housing association tenants. Lord Kerslake, who was the most senior mandarin at the CLG until February will break cover in his maiden speech in the House of Lords on Tuesday, delivering a serious blow to a centrepiece of the prime minister’s legislative programme.

Kerslake, who was working on housing policy until weeks before the election, told the Observer: “I will raise my serious concerns about the policy in its current form. I think it’s wrong in principle and wrong in practice, and it won’t help tackle the urgent need to build more housing and more affordable housing in this country, particularly in London.” Read more on the Observer website.

New Permanent Secretary for the CLG

Melanie Dawes has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary for the CLG following Sir Bob Kerslake’s announcement of his retirement at the end of February. Melanie, who is currently the Head of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, was chosen following an open competition. Her appointment has been made by the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State, under the new arrangements announced by the Civil Service Commission in October. Read more on the GovUK website.

Sir Bob Kerslake Axed By Cameron

The head of the civil service, Sir Bob Kerslake, has been axed by Prime Minister David Cameron. Earlier this month, Sir Bob, who is also the CLG's permanent secretary, admitted that the business case for the government's troubled universal credit system had not yet been approved by the Treasury, with the department releasing funds on a piecemeal basis. Days later, work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith was forced to admit in the House of Commons that Sir Bob's comments were accurate. Read more on 24dash.

IDS: Kerslake Was Right about Universal Credit Business Case

In a heated exchange in the House of Commons, the Work and Pensions Secretary confirmed that funding for the flagship reform of the benefits system was being signed off on a piecemeal basis by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He explained that although the Treasury had agreed universal credit business case plans "for the lifetime of this parliament" the full business case for the lifetime of the programme was still under discussion. Duncan Smith also admitted, in a roundabout way, that the comments made about universal credit by Sir Bob Kerslake were correct. He told the Commons: "My point is that the answer that Mr Kerslake, the head of the civil service, gave was correct in the sense, as I have said today, that the overall strategic business case for the full lifetime of the programme is in discussion right now for that completion." Read more on 24dash.

DWP Accused of 'Black Propaganda' In Universal Credit Debate

Glenda Jackson has attacked the DWP for embarking on a programme of "black propaganda" in a deliberate attempt to undermine the UK's benefits system. During a universal credit debate in the House of Commons, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn accused Iain Duncan Smith's department of a "bunker mentality" adding that "simple humility is not part and parcel of its make-up". Jackson was responding to the news that civil service chief Sir Bob Kerslake had informed the Public Accounts Committee that the business case for universal credit had still not been signed off by the Treasury, despite an assurance from DWP minister Esther McVey that it had. Read more on 24dash.

Treasury Has Not Signed Off On Duncan Smith's Universal Credit

The Treasury has still not signed off on the government's troubled universal credit benefits reform, Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, has revealed. He made the admission that the project was being drip-fed money by the Treasury after Margaret Hodge, the chair of the Commons public accounts committee, repeatedly pressed senior civil servants about its financial status. It the latest sign that the Treasury is keeping a very close eye on universal credit, the responsibility of work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, after it was criticised by the National Audit Office for its "weak management, ineffective control and poor governance". Read more on the Guardian website.

There Is Waste And Then There Is Waste.

As the Lords voice scepticism about the "bonfire of the quangos", there is embarrassment for Sir Bob Kerslake, who has just arrived as permanent secretary to Eric Pickles at the CLG. While Pickles ignites the bonfire, Kerslake is there to carry the petrol. But it will require steady hands, not to mention a brass neck. For Sir Bob has some explaining to do about the performance of the Home and Communities Agency, the quango he has just left. According to the latest Treasury benchmarking indicators for 2009-10, spending at the HCA on finance divided by its staff was £3,981. That's a lot compared with £1,282 at another of the department's quangos, the Audit Commission, one of the very first to be thrust into the flames. Average working days lost for sickness at the HCA: 8.4 – compared with 5.7 for the Audit Commission and 4.9 for the Communities Department itself. The cost of procurement at the HCA: 0.8% of turnover; at the hated Audit Commission: 0.1%. The HCA spent a whopping £7,997 for each of its full-time staff on offices compared with £3,252 for the Audit Commission. It spent 4.1% on press and communications, while the detested Audit Commission spent just 2%. The squeeze goes on, but in the land of Eric there are quangos and then there are quangos. There is waste and then there is waste.

Still a Role for Public Funding in New Social Housing

Outgoing Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) chief Sir Bob Kerslake insists there will still be an important role for public funding in affordable housing, despite the Government slashing the social housing budget by more than 50% over the next four years. He said that despite the Coalition's plans to slim down the agency, the core values underpinning its existence would remain. Mr Kerslake said: “It will be smaller and funding will be different but the three core roles around new supply, existing stock and land-based regeneration all still stand as core roles of the agency and of course taking on the regulatory role will be a new part of it as well. I think it’s important to say funding goes into social housing in two ways – through capital funding and housing benefit. I think there is still going to be a very significant contribution to affordable housing. I think there will still be an important public role in the delivery of affordable housing.” Read more on 24dash.

Shapps - 'TSA Made Little Difference on the Ground'

Grant Shapps has announced the abolition of the TSA, saying the regulatory body made "little difference on the ground with far too many tenants still frustrated by their lack of real power to drive up standards".  Communities and Local Government (CLG) is aiming to preserve the TSA's "vital" economic regulation functions in a new streamlined Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), whilst scrapping tasks considered unnecessary by Ministers - such as "excessive data gathering".  The TSA move, CLG says, will put local people in "real" control of driving up the quality of social housing with their landlords, and keep regulation's primary focus on ensuring that lenders have confidence to invest in social housing. Under the plans, England's eight million social housing tenants will receive "strengthened powers" to ensure that their landlords provide quality housing and are held to account when problems arise. CLG says landlords will be expected to support tenant panels - or equivalent bodies - in order to give tenants the opportunity to scrutinise the services being offered and to be involved in resolving disputes.  In a "new era of transparency", CLG says landlords will need to agree with their tenants what information they need about performance so that tenants can effectively scrutinise performance. And there will be a new role for tenants' representatives - local councillors, MPs and tenant panels - in standing up for the rights of tenants and driving up housing standards. Full details of the review of social housing regulations will be published next week.  Details of how the Government plans to streamline the HCA will be announced shortly. It was also confirmed that the HCA will be reformed to operate as a smaller enabling and investment body, with its London functions devolved to the Mayor.  Outgoing HCA chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake, said: "This is an opportunity to harness the valuable synergies that exist between the investment and regulatory functions. However, this new regulatory role will need to be run as a distinct function of the HCA, within the context of a smaller, more streamlined agency.  While tenant issues will be addressed at a local level under a new system, the Agency will want to engage tenant organisations in the delivery of its new regulatory function.  We will continue to work closely with the TSA over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition of the TSA’s vital economic regulatory functions to the HCA."  Read more on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.

HCA Appoints Interim Chief Executive

Pat Ritchie has been appointed to the post of chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the Agency's chairman Robert Napier has announced.  Currently the HCA's director for the North East, Pat will now lead the Agency through a significant period of change including development of its continuing role as a smaller, enabling and investment organisation.  Pat takes up her new role as of 1 November and will remain in post until a permanent appointment is made next year. She replaces Sir Bob Kerslake who moves to be Permanent Secretary at CLG.  Read more on the HCA website.

Kerslake Takes £50k Pay Cut to Join CLG

Sir Bob Kerslake will take a pay cut of more than £50,000 when he takes up his position as permanent secretary at the CLG. The chief executive of the HCA will start his new post on 1 November. His basic salary at the CLG will be £170,000, a drop from his basic wage of £223,000 at the HCA. Both salaries come with a package of benefits. The CLG wage had to be signed off by the Treasury and is a decrease from the £185,000 a year paid to previous CLG permanent secretary Peter Housden. Read more on Inside Housing.

Sir Bob Kerslake Appointed as Permanent Secretary at CLG

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA has been appointed to the position of Permanent Secretary at the CLG. Sir Bob, who will be the senior Civil Servant at the CLG, will take up his new post on 1 November. The HCA Board has begun the process for recruiting a new chief executive from its existing group of directors initially, on an interim basis. The process will be completed as soon as is practicable. Read more on the HCA website.

£3.2 Billion Needed to Make All Homes Decent

Social landlords will need to spend another £3.2 billion to make all of their housing stock decent. Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, revealed the full scale of the challenge as it emerged London mayor Boris Johnson could develop a ‘beyond decent homes’ standard for social homes in London. Sir Bob revealed ‘To finish the job will require something like £3.2 billion’. Sir Bob said planned reforms of the housing subsidy system could help councils that have already made their homes decent maintain them into the future. But he said councils that still had substantial numbers of non-decent homes would need more help. Read the full story on Inside Housing.
Decent homes in figures
£3.2 billion: value of outstanding decent homes work
397,000: non-decent council properties (approximately 14 per cent of the overall English social housing stock.)
182,000: other non-decent social homes

'HCA is Here to Stay' – Exclusive

Sir Bob Kerslake has confirmed that the HCA is 'here to stay' - albeit as a smaller and more streamlined body. Speaking exclusively to 24dash.com, the HCA's Chief Executive said his organisation would become an enabling investment agency with the emphasis being placed on local authorities to 'take the lead' on housing delivery plans. "In line with the Government's localism approach, councils will be expected to come to us to discuss their housing requirements rather than us chasing them. The ball will be placed firmly in their court," he said. "The new-look HCA will be based around a formula of offering expertise and developing public/private partnerships along with its core function of funding new housing." He also praised the work carried out by the Tenant Services Authority and felt there was potential for the two organisations to come under one umbrella, if the Government felt this was a viable option. Read more of this interview on the 24dash website.

HCA Launches Empty Homes Debate

The HCA has launched an online debate about bringing empty homes back into use. The debate, ‘How do we maximise the use of empty homes?’, runs on the HCA’s website until 30 July, and includes films from industry experts such as David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency and HCA chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake. The films cover topics such as the challenges of empty homes and possible solutions. Anyone can join the debate with comments and questions. Find out more by clicking on the HCA logo below.

Councils Must Make Unpopular Choices

Council leaders will have to show strong leadership by taking unpopular decisions to deliver housing, the chief executive of the HCA has said. Sir Bob Kerslake, speaking at the CIH’s conference, acknowledged that plans to give authorities more powers to shape their own investment plans for housing mean councils will face nimbyism. Sir Bob, formerly chief executive at Sheffield council, said: ‘What makes the difference between different places is the strength of political leadership, to say this is what we want to deliver that involves unpopular decisions being made. ‘Some council leaders will be very up for the challenge, some may not be, time will tell what the balance will be.’ Sir Bob said he sees the agency’s future role as a smaller, enabling agency. Read more on the Inside Housing website.

Councils to Be Given More Power over HCA Development Funds

Every council in England could be handed more control over housing and regeneration budgets, under moves being discussed by the Homes and Communities Agency. The coalition government has pledged to cut the cost of quangos and hand power to local authorities, prompting speculation about the future of the HCA and its £5 billion-a-year investment budget. Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, said he now wants to see provision ‘turned on its head’ with councils playing more of a commissioning role. ‘I can see the model moving more towards one where we jointly agree investment priorities. Then us and the local authority would commission providers to see which one would be interested in providing the type of housing that the local authority needs.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

HCA Cuts Threaten 7,000 Homes

More than 7,000 new homes are under threat as a result of a £610 million package of funding cuts and spending freezes. The Homes and Communities Agency announced the changes on Tuesday as part of a £6 billion package of government savings. Cuts to house building programmes total £230 million, while some HCA spending is now on hold until after the emergency Budget on 22 June. Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, said funding for ALMOs had not been affected and that mortgage rescue funding would also continue. Read more on the Inside Housing website.

The Future Of Housing With The Chief Executive Of The HCA

Sir Bob Kerslake, the Chief Executive of the HCA attended the LGA Environment Board November meeting. The work of the HCA and councillors’ concerns and future challenges were discussed. Subjects included;
*Design and environmental standards
*The future viability of Section 106
*Single conversation
*The regeneration of empty housing
Find out what Sir Bob had to say on the IDeA website by clicking on the logo below.

HCA On Course To Deliver

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA confirmed the Agency’s capacity to deliver its programme of housing and regeneration investment. Sir Bob said: “The Chancellor has put forward a series of measures that allow us to maintain the momentum of our investment programme and at the same time build on the innovative approaches that we already have underway, such as the Private Rental Sector and Public Land Initiative.” The PBR referred positively to key areas of HCA work, in particular the private rental sector; increasing land supply and development; improving the effectiveness of capital investment streams and enhancing the offer to first time buyers. Find the full story on the HCA website by clicking on the logo below.