HC Deb 22 February 1978 vol 944 cc656-8W
Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units the current housing stock are under owner-occupation; and how many such units will benefit from the budget allocated towards thermal insulation as announced on 12th December.

Mr. Armstrong

It is estimated that about 9.6 million dwellings are owner-occupied at present. The housing measures included in the first stage of the Government's energy conservation programme announced by my right hon. Friend on 12th December related specifically to the public sector.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new units of housing have been constructed in each of the past three years with solid walls but without adequate wall insulation such as insulating board, hardboard, or panelling, in the public and private sectors, respectively.

Mr. Armstrong

This information is not collected. However, all dwellings constructed subject to the Building Regulations will have complied with the requirements for thermal insulation.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of the current housing stock have no cavity walls; and how many such units will benefit from the budget allocated towards thermal insulation as announced on 12th December.

Mr. Armstrong

Current information suggests that between 12 and 13 million dwellings in Great Britain have no cavity walls. Public sector dwellings in this category may benefit from funds provided under the energy package announced in December to the extent that they qualify for the basic measures covered by that package.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new units of housing have been constructed in each of the past three years without cavity wall insulation in the public and private sectors, respectively.

Mr. Armstrong

These figures are not collected.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of the current housing stock have no loft or loft access; and how many such homes will benefit from the budget allocated towards thermal insulation as announced on 12th December.

Mr. Armstrong

No precise figures are available but it is estimated that some 5.8 million dwellings in England have either no loft or no loft access. Information about the distribution of these dwellings between tenures is not available, and I cannot therefore say how many will benefit from the measures for thermal insulation of public sector dwellings announced by my right hon. Friend on 12th December.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the budget allocated for thermal insulation under the programme announced on 12th December last, will include expenditure on insulating walls and ceilings for homes where there are no lofts, or no access to lofts, or where there are no cavity walls.

Mr. Armstrong

No.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the budget for building insulation announced on 12th December will be allocated towards cavity wall insulation; and how many homes in the public sector will be so insulated annually.

Mr. Armstrong

The programme of measures in local authority, new town and housing association dwellings will not include cavity wall insulation. As far as the civil and defence estate is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Hove (Mr. Sainsbury) on 18th January. Provisional estimates suggest that within the civil and defence estate same 20,000 or so houses each year will have cavity wall insulation installed.—[Vol. 942, c. 247–8.]

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the planned expenditure in the next financial year on energy conservation in the public housing and public building sectors; what proportion of the total public sector building stock will be improved; and what proportion fails to meet recommended standards of thermal insulation.

Mr. Armstrong

In his statement on 12th December 1977 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy announced measures totalling £55.5 million. These are in addition to the existing work planned under the auspices of the Property Services Agency, which amounts to £3.6 million, and of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Health and Social Security, and local authorities, where the sums to be spent specifically on energy conservation are not separately identified. On the second part of the Question, Government policy is to improve all public buildings whose condition justifies it. In answer to the third part of the Question, there are no recommended standards for the thermal insulation of existing buildings.—[Vol. 941, c. 30–2.]