Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is his department taking to ensure Housing Revenue Account funding is adequately ringfenced for social housing purposes by local authorities.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is a ring-fenced accounting mechanism within the General Fund.

The ring-fence ensures that the income from tenants’ rents is only spent on the upkeep and management of local authority tenants’ homes and it protects them from funding services already paid for through Council Tax. The HRA can also contribute toward the building of new council housing.

Guidance for councils on the operation of the HRA ringfence can be found on gov.uk here.

Individual councils are responsible for meeting their statutory responsibilities as a landlord within their HRA.