Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), confirmed the Agency's capacity to deliver its programme of housing and regeneration investment following the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report.

Speaking after the announcement of the pre Budget report (PBR) 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.

"Creating an environment that attracts more institutional investment into the private rental market; freeing up a greater supply of public land; and increasing the impact of local authorities on housing delivery are all significant shifts that will help stimulate the housing and regeneration sector."

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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; stimulating the private rental sector: the HCA's efforts to attract institutional investment to increase the supply of good quality, private rental homes, will be given greater impetus through a government-led consultation in early 2010 to see how this type of investment can increase housing supply.

Sir Bob added: "Tough economic times and this fragile housing market mean we need to continue with investment but come up with smarter, more efficient ways of delivering more with less, which is what the Total Capital case studies will help illustrate. We are already seeing our resources working in a smarter way, as our Kickstart programme reveals, with more of our funding being channelled into HomeBuy Direct as sales accelerate and developers move away from needing investment support."

(CD/KMcA)