§ 21. Mr. Donnellyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number and total values of grants made under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act to private property owners in respect of improvements to old houses and to local authorities in respect of slum properties, respectively.
§ Mr. DeedesUp to 31st August last 39,000 improvement grants had been made to the owners of private houses, 29,000 of these since the passing of the Housing Act, 1954. Figures are not yet available for the amount of grant paid, since some claims from local authorities for the Exchequer portion of the grant are still outstanding.
Local authorities have indicated that they intend to patch about 90,000 houses during the next five years. The City of Birmingham has been informed that approximately 25,000 houses will be accepted for patching grant. No claims for grant have yet been made.