Written question asked by Austin Mitchell (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 February 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 February 2008. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Monday, 18 February 2008 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Council Housing: Tenants

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposal that tenants should be actively seeking work will apply to (a) council tenants, (b) tenants of registered social landlords, (c) existing tenants, (d) new tenants and (e) registered social landlord tenants on partial purchase schemes; and what account was taken of (i) secure and assured tenancies and (ii) the obligation on local authorities to re-house families with children in deciding on the proposal.

Answer: At my speech to the Fabian Society's conference on 5 February, which can be read at:"http://www.communities.gov.uk/speeches/corporate/fabian societyaddress"I called for a wide ranging debate about how best to tackle the challenge of worklessness in social housing, examining the full range of options. Development of future policy proposals will be informed by this debate.Professor John Hills' report, 'Ends and Means: the future roles of social housing in England', found that over half of social tenants of working age are without work. This represents a huge waste of potential and a challenge we must address.Social housing has, and will continue to have, a crucial role as a safety net for the most vulnerable. But it should not only be a safety net. It should also provide a platform for people to get on with their lives, and improve their skills and prospects.

Secondary information