The government will continue to renovate sink estates using the private finance initiative despite its faltering progress to date. Leeds recently signed a PFI deal to improve its Swarcliff area six years after it had been earmarked for government help. Leeds is only the fourth council to reach this stage. But the housing minister, Keith Hill, said: “This excellent news clearly shows that housing PFI schemes can be delivered according to guidance. The people of Swarcliffe can now look forward to the sustainable delivery of decent homes during the next 30 years.” He added that the deal “clearly demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to housing PFI and the increasing importance of its role in making homes decent.”