§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount made available to disabled people through the disabled facilities grant; and how much was paid out through grants for the last 12 months for which figures are available.
§ Mr. BaldryThe total amount of final payments of disabled facilities grants in England from their inception in July 1990 up to September 1992 is £76.8 million of mandatory and discretionary grants. The total amount during the 12 months from October 1991 to September 1992 is £56.3 million.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what items of equipment are provided through a disabled facilities grant.
§ Mr. BaldryDisabled facilities grants under part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 are awarded 231W by local housing authorities. Such grants are usually confined to larger items, such as stair lifts and through floor lifts, requiring structural modifications to a dwelling. Smaller items are normally provided by welfare authorities under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the applications by region, for the last 12–month period for which figures are available, for disabled facilities grants; and how many of these applications were(a) given formal approval and (b) eligible for 100 per cent. grant aid.
§ Mr. BaldryThe Department collects information from local authorities about the number of approvals of disabled facilities grants but not on the numbers of applications. The table shows figures of approval over the 12 months to September 1992 by standard statistical region in England.
Disabled Facilities Grants: Approvals: October 1991 to September 1992
(numbers of grants) Standard statistical region Mandatory grants Discretionary grants North 866 3 Yorkshire and Humberside 4,251 14 East Midlands 2,130 15 East Anglia 795 9 Greater London 1,188 56 Rest of South East 3,406 96 South West 1,777 38 West Midlands 1,784 58 North West 2,731 13 England 18,928 302 The Department collects information about payments of grant that cover the full cost of relevant works—that is, those eligible for 100 per cent. grant aid—but not for approvals. The most recent information relates to final payments during the financial year 1991–92, as shown in the following table.
Disabled Facilities Grants: Final Payments: Mandatory and Discretionary grants:
April 1991 to March 1992
(numbers of grants) Standard statistical region Total Covering full cost of relevant works Column 2 as a percentage of column 1 North 743 561 76 Yorkshire and Humberside 3,233 2,710 84 East Midlands 1,385 916 66 East Anglia 582 456 78 Greater London 714 438 61 Rest of South East 2,382 1,802 76 South west 1,511 1,211 80 West Midlands 1,402 954 68 North West 1,808 1,454 80 England 13,760 10,502 76