Housing Minister Grant Shapps has hailed the rapid and impressive progress that has been made to improve the nation's social housing stock, with the numbers of homes considered 'non decent' down by more than a quarter.

Despite the need to cut the deficit, the Government will spend £2.1 billion on the Decent Homes programme to make much-needed improvements to council and housing association homes.

And new figures published show the Government ahead of schedule to deliver the improvements that tenants need and deserve.

The numbers of non decent council homes fell by more than a quarter over the past year. Councils have fitted 110,000 new kitchens, 82,000 new bathrooms and 126,000 new central heating systems into their properties.

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This dramatic fall now means that 93 per cent of all social homes now meet the Decent standard - more than the 92 per cent predicted a year ago, and up from 90 per cent of all homes in 2009.

Mr Shapps said: "When we came to Government we pledged to protect the most vulnerable and committed to improving damp and cold homes.

"I am delighted to see such rapid and impressive progress towards ensuring that all social homes are at the standard that tenants deserve and rightly expect.

"These figures demonstrate how councils and housing associations are ahead of schedule in delivering the much-needed improvements to their stock.

"And because we're spending over £2 billion on this vital programme, I fully expect to see the numbers of refurbished properties rise further over the next few years so that more families benefit from the vast improvements to their homes that they have waited so long for."

(CD)