Will UK mortgage rates rise or fall ?

[papasmurf]

I dont know anything about benefits so wouldn't know what ones they are on . I do know that they are single parents or fat bastards and none of them go to work so unless they have won the lotto or something they are living on benefits

You are so out of touch and out of date is is not worth bothering trying to debate with you. You really do need to keep up with the up to date data.

[Nick]

I dont know anything about benefits so wouldn't know what ones they are on . I do know that they are single parents or fat bastards and none of them go to work so unless they have won the lotto or something they are living on benefits

As far as the Tree Huggers on here they are all poor cherubs that have no choice, and are desperately looking for work. Us in the real world no a high percentage of them are bone idle and will do anything they can to sit at home on benefits. They know how to fill the criteria for looking for work without ever risking actually getting offered one. 

[Streetwalker]

How do you know they are ALL rented to people on benefits? Also which benefits are you referring to?

I dont know anything about benefits so wouldn't know what ones they are on . I do know that they are single parents or fat bastards and none of them go to work so unless they have won the lotto or something they are living on benefits 

[papasmurf]

Round here all the council houses that are left are rented by people on benefits so I guess for one reason or another they dont want to

How do you know they are ALL rented to people on benefits? Also which benefits are you referring to?

[Streetwalker]

Just one problem with that, there are no council houses left that anyone would want to buy.

Round here all the council houses that are left are rented by people on benefits so I guess for one reason or another they dont want to 

[papasmurf]

I dont need to . They didnt stop right to buy because even Bliar new it was a good thing for working class people to own their own homes and  discounted council homes was a good way of getting people on the housing ladder . Labour would also have lost the votes of people aspiring to buy .

But as I have said people buying their homes wasnt the problem , not building enough was .

Just one problem with that, there are no council houses left that anyone would want to buy.

[Streetwalker]

You need to ask them.

I dont need to . They didnt stop right to buy because even Bliar new it was a good thing for working class people to own their own homes and  discounted council homes was a good way of getting people on the housing ladder . Labour would also have lost the votes of people aspiring to buy .

But as I have said people buying their homes wasnt the problem , not building enough was .

[papasmurf]

What was to stop them changing it during their first year in office ?

You need to ask them.

[Streetwalker]

It was the same law, only recently changed.

What was to stop them changing it during their first year in office ?

[Unlucky4Sum]

So again, where is this mystery law stopping Labour building Council houses during their 12 year tenure?

You've been given it

If you mean Labour could have repealed the law then yes they could but it wouldn't have undone the damage done because they couldn't go seize the houses of those who'd bought them.   ECtHR and all that.  

[papasmurf]

So again, where is this mystery law stopping Labour building Council houses during their 12 year tenure?

It was the same law, only recently changed.

[Nick]

So again, where is this mystery law stopping Labour building Council houses during their 12 year tenure?

[Unlucky4Sum]

How were the properties lost?

When bought my council flat, I did not knock it down or eat it, I lived in it like all the other ex council tenants.

Lost from the pool of affordable housing

[Borchester]

Loans, accrued revenue?

I bet they aren't and can't replace all the affordable housing they lost 

How were the properties lost?

When bought my council flat, I did not knock it down or eat it, I lived in it like all the other ex council tenants.

[Nick]

or you could trust that I wouldn't have linked to it without knowing it backed the assertion

But hey ho please find them copied below.  The nub is that the central government's regular contributions to councils was reduced by the amount they gained from the sales (LCD) in effect the money went to Thatcher's coffers which gave her a one time boost and precluded the councils building replacement homes.


PART VI

Housing Subsidies

96

New housing subsidy to replace certain existing subsidies and contributions Local authorities

(1)

For the year 1981-82 and subsequent years—

(a)

a subsidy, to be known as housing subsidy, shall be payable to local authorities, new town corporations and the Development Board for Rural Wales in accordance with this Part of this Act;

(b)

no payment shall be made under any of the enactments listed in Part I of Schedule 11 to this Act; and

(c)

no payment shall be made under any of the enactments listed in Part II of Schedule 11 to this Act in respect of dwellings within a local authority's Housing Revenue Account or a new town corporation's housing account.

(2)

No grant shall be made after 31st March 1981 under section 14 of the [1958 c. 42.] Housing (Financial Provisions) Act 1958 (grants for building experiments).

Local authorities

97

Housing subsidy for local authorities

(1)

The amount of the housing subsidy payable to a local authority for any year (the year of account) shall be calculated from the amounts which are the authority's—

(a)

base amount (BA);

(b)

housing costs differential (HCD); and

(c)

local contribution differential (LCD);

for that year and shall be so calculated by using the formula BA + HCD − LCD.

(2)

If the amount so calculated is nil or a negative amount, no housing subsidy is payable to the authority for the year of account.

98

The base amount

(1)

A local authority's base amount is, subject to any adjustment under this section.—

(a)

for the year 1982-83 or any subsequent year, the amount calculated for the preceding year under section 97, that is to say, the amount of subsidy payable to the authority for the year (or, if none was payable, nil or a negative amount, as the case may be);

(b)

for the year 1981-82, the aggregate of the following amounts payable to the authority for the year 1980-81, that is to say—

(i)

the amount of housing subsidy under section 2 of the 1975 Act;

(ii)

the amount (if any) of expanding towns subsidy under section 4 of the 1975 Act; and

(iii)

the amount of any contribution under the enactments listed in Part II of Schedule 11 which is payable in respect of any dwelling within the authority's Housing Revenue Account.

(2)

If the Secretary of State is of opinion that particular circumstances require it, he may adjust the base amount for any year by increasing or decreasing it, either generally or in relation to any description of authority or any particular authority ; and, without prejudice to the generality of this provision, he may adjust the base amount for the year 1981-82 by excluding from the amount taken into account as housing subsidy under section 2 of the 1975 Act so much of the new capital costs element and the high costs element as was in his opinion attributable to capital costs directly charged to revenue.

99

The housing costs differential

(1)

A local authority's housing costs differential for any year of account is the amount by which its reckonable expenditure for that year exceeds its reckonable expenditure for the preceding year (and accordingly is nil or, as the case may be, a negative amount if its reckonable expenditure for the year of account is the same or less).

(2)

A local authority's reckonable expenditure for any year is the aggregate of—

(a)

so much of the expenditure incurred by the authority in that year and falling to be debited to its Housing Revenue Account as the Secretary of State may determine ; and

(b)

so much of any other expenditure incurred by the local authority in that year or treated, in accordance with any determination made by the Secretary of State, as so incurred, as the Secretary of State may determine to take into account for the purposes of housing subsidy.

(3)

A determination under this section may be made for all local authorities or different determinations may be made for authorities of different descriptions or for authorities in England and authorities in Wales or in different parts of England or Wales or for individual authorities ; and any such determination may be varied or revoked in relation to all or any of the authorities for which it was made.

(4)

Before making a determination for all local authorities the Secretary of State shall consult with organisations appearing to him to be representative of local authorities.

100

The local contribution differential

(1)

A local authority's local contribution differential for any year of account is the amount by which its reckonable income for that year exceeds its reckonable income for the preceding year (and accordingly is nil or, as the case may be, a negative amount if its reckonable income for the year of account is the same or less).

(2)

A local authority's reckonable income for any year is the amount which, in accordance with any determination made by the Secretory of State, the local authority is assumed to receive for that year as income which it is required to carry to its Housing Revenue Account, but—

(a)

excluding, subject to paragraph (b) below, any income derived from any subsidy, grant or contribution; and

(b)

including any contribution made by the authority out of its general rate fund as well as any modified rent rebate subsidy payable under section 3 of the 1975 Act.

(3)

A determination under this section shall state the assumptions on which it is based and the method of calculation used in it, and in making it the Secretary of State shall have regard, among other things, to past and expected movements in incomes, costs and prices.

(4)

A determination under this section may be made for all local authorities or different determinations may be made for authorities of different descriptions or for authorities in England and authorities in Wales or in different parts of England or Wales or for individual authorities, and every determination shall be made known in the year preceding the year of account to the local authorities for which it is made.

(5)

Before making a determination for all local authorities the Secretary of State shall consult with organisations appearing to him to be representative of local authorities.

Can't see anything stopping Labour building council houses with government funds.