§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate whether he is now prepared to offer 100 per cent. grant-aid to those tenants who have had their Housing Executive homes converted from gas, to enable them to purchase alternative cooking appliances.
§ Mr. Adam ButlerThe rates of grant payable to Housing Executive tenants towards the reasonable cost of replacing gas cookers with approved types of alternative cooking appliances will be the same as those announced by my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State on 7 August 1980 in respect of private sector householders—[Vol. 990, c. 7681—that is, 100 per cent. for tenants in receipt of supplementary benefit or family income supplement and 50 per cent. for other tenants. However, grants towards the replacement of gas cookers and other domestic gas appliances owned by domestic consumers, including Housing Executive tenants, will not be available until the appropriate legislative authority has been obtained and details of the proposed consumer aid scheme have been announced.