Ministers have admitted that 100 local councils will not be able to fulfil aims to make all social housing decent by 2010.

"Decent" has been defined by the government as a house with modern services, a reasonable state of repair and adequately insulated.

Forum Response: Shelter

Ben Jackson, Shelter's Director of External Affairs, said: "It is unacceptable that we are building so few homes while thousands of people are living in conditions that are truly shocking - like something from 100 years ago.

"We must end the misery of homelessness that sees children's health and education ruined and their future blighted by cold damp and overcrowded homes. John Prescott must focus on these households when he sets out his housing strategy in January."

Forum Response: RICS

Stuart Poore, policy officer at RICS, told ePolitix.com: "The government's admission that it will fail to get all social housing to adecent standard by 2010 does not come as a surprise.

"The delivery of a decent homes standard is dependent on the successful transfer of council housing stock to housing associations which are better placed to provide the necessary investment to improve stock condition.

"The government's decision to adopt a democratic approach has given tenants the power to reject stock transfer, most notably in Birmingham. This takes away the most effective mechanism open to the Government for ensuring that all homes are decent by 2010."

Forum Response: British Property Federation

Ian Fletcher, spokesman for the BPF, told ePolitix.com: "This illustrates the extent of the challenge facing the government in trying to raise the quality of public and private sector housing over the next decade.

"The funding requirements are huge and are not going to be met by the public purse. If it is to meet the standards it rightly desires the government will therefore need to broach the subject of increasing private sector investment in all forms of housing stock. We would urge it to be more inventive in its use of incentives and the tax system to lever in private funds."

Forum Response: Construction Products Association

Allan Wilén, economics and special projects director at the Construction Products Association, told ePolitix.com: "We are disappointed that almost two years on some 100 local authorities believe that they will be unable to comply with the Government's objective of bringing the entire social housing stock up to a decent standard by 2010. We are encouraged, however, that the Government remains committed to its objective and that it will now be working with the authorities concerned to ensure that they deliver the necessary improvements to their stock."