§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total extra cost to his Department of its contributions to the International Year of Disabled People.
§ Mr. HeseltineMy reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 18 January 1982 detailed the range of specific measures being undertaken by my Department in connection with the International Year of Disabled People. [Vol. 16, c.24.]
These measures have been financed as part of normal Departmental programmes. Since the beginning of the current financial year, urban programme approvals for 43W projects for the disabled have amounted to some £1.5 million. Changes in the home improvement and insulation grant systems to benefit disabled people came into effect at the beginning of this month. The total cost of the other schemes mentioned in my earlier reply was about £115,000 in 1981. Some of these measures will continue beyond 1981 and the total cost to my Department cannot be determined.