§ 5. Mr. KnapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the number of homes with accessible lofts whose lofts had been insulated (a) in 1978 and (b) in 1990.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. David Heathcoat-Amory)In 1978 some 8.7 million homes with accessible lofts had loft insulation. By 1989 the number of homes with loft insulation had risen to 15.3 million. Figures for 1990 are not yet available.
§ Mr. KnapmanI congratulate my hon. Friend on that excellent reply. Are low-income families eligible for financial assistance in these matters? If so, how much money will be made available to them this year?
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryIn most cases, investment in energy efficiency equipment or insulation justifies itself financially, but assistance is required for low-income households. I am pleased to say that the home energy efficiency scheme, which was launched in January to give grants to precisely those households, will have a budget of £26 million in the current year.
§ Mr. DobsonWill the Minister confirm that the Government's own figures—before they became so embarrassing that the Government stopped publishing them—showed that if the Tory Government had maintained home insulation at the level that they inherited from the previous Labour Government, 5.5 million more homes would now be properly insulated?
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryNo. When the Labour party left office, only about 60 per cent. of homes had loft insulation. The figure now is 90 per cent. That shows that Conservative Government is good for energy efficiency.