CHESTERFIELD COUNCIL TENANTS LOBBY PARLIAMENT TO END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST COUNCIL HOUSING

Chesterfield Council tenants are travelling to London tomorrow, Tuesday 22 January 2008, to join campaigners from throughout the UK in order to protest about the Government's continuing discrimination against council housing. Cllr Tony Rogers, Lead Member for Housing on CBC, will give evidence to the Defend Council Housing Evidence Session in the House of Commons. This coincides with the Committee Stage of the Housing Bill and is designed to help lobby the Government over its continued discrimination against those authorities who have retained the management of Council Housing as a result of tenant's wishes.

Commenting Paul Holmes MP for Chesterfield said:

"Since the disastrous Right to Buy scheme was introduced the number of council houses has halved in Chesterfield alone, housing waiting lists have trebled since 1997 and council housing department is financially hamstrung by central government diktat

"Council Housing has been deliberately hamstrung by New Labour to the detriment of the very people they claim to represent. As a direct result of New Labour's neglect nearly four million people nationally find themselves stuck on council house waiting lists.

"This is New Labour's legacy and may well be its epitaph, not only have they left families without homes they have left councils without the power to house them. This year alone Gordon Brown's central government cash grab is stealing £4 million in Chesterfield Council rents with next year's figure set to sky rocket to £5 Million. Tenants simply cannot understand why their rent money is taken away so that Gordon Brown can spend it elsewhere instead of on local housing need.

"It is high time that the Government woke up to the effects of decades of neglect and freed councils from the ridiculous financial disadvantage that they now face. Gordon Brown's cash grab must end and councils must be set free to build the new homes so desperately needed.

Commenting further, Councillor Tony Rogers, Lead Member for Housing on Chesterfield Borough Council said:

"This lobby serves as a timely reminder to the Government that council housing and its tenants can not and will not be ignored."

Notes to Editors:

Seven Council Tenants will be accompanying Cllr Rogers to Lobby Parliament tomorrow.

This is part of a nationwide lobby day with delegations from around the country.

Paul Holmes MP, Vice Chair of the Commons Council Housing Group will meet the delegation.

A full report of the evidence hearing will be published.