HC Deb 02 December 1981 vol 14 cc223-4
5. Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to increase the number of dwellings renovated with improvement grants.

The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. John Stanley)

As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Housing Act 1980 introduced the improvement-for-sale scheme and made some extremely important changes to the improvement grant system. These included making private and public sector tenants eligible for improvement grants, introducing a new form of repairs grant, and extending the priority rate of grant of up to 90 per cent to all dwellings in major need of improvement. That priority rate of grant of up to 90 per cent. will also be extended as from 1 January to all works required because a person is disabled. I hope that local authorities will give a high priority to improvement grants in the use of their capital allocations and capital receipts.

Mr. Latham

Is my hon. Friend aware that we could get the construction industry off the floor and reduce unemployment substantially and cheaply if there were a crash programme of improvement work of the sort that took place between 1971–73? Is he further aware that if there were to be any hindrance to such a move after half-past three this afternoon, some of us would take a dim view of it?

Mr. Stanley

I agree with my hon. Friend that improvement activity, especially with the additional means that we have provided for financing it, is an extremely cost-effective use of public finance for housing purposes. I remind my hon. Friend that under present legislation the installation of bathrooms and internal WCs is subject to mandatory grants. As a result of the changes in the Housing Act 1980, the grant rate is 75 per cent. and increases to 90 per cent.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

Does the Minister accept that new measures are necessary on improvement grants because of the dramatic decline in improvements under the Government? Will he take the opportunity to apologise to the House for his statement on 11 February, when he boasted that the number of improvements was increasing? On 11 February was he not using completions that were started under the Labour Government? Now that we have the figures of improvements started under this Government, it is clear that there has been a dramatic decline and that the decline will continue unless the Government take some measures to reverse it.

Mr. Stanley

In the 12 months to June 1981 the level of improvements has been higher than for most of the years under the Labour Administration. On the present indications of spend for this year, it seems that a number of local authorities may not be making full use of existing capital allocations and capital receipts. I hope that they will do so.