§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that, under the new arrangement of indicative costs, there is adequate research undertaken to ensure that allowances for the additional cost of wheelchair housing, together with it implications, will be set at realistic levels.
§ Mr. StanleyThe indicative costs for housing association schemes for new build and renovation include special supplements for wheelchair accommodation. Both the indicative costs and the supplements will be continuously monitored and subject to periodic review.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, in the case of disabled people and their families, he will make it his policy to base fair rents for wheelchair housing on the number of persons for whom the dwelling is designed and not on the essential space standards;
(2) in view of the statutory basis of the fair rent system, whether, in the case of wheelchair housing, he will take-steps to secure national co-ordination of rent levels and standards, with the exception only of essential geographical variations.
§ Mr. StanleyFair rents for wheelchair housing are fixed according to the statutory criteria in section 70 of the Rent Act 1977 by rent officers and rent assessment committees. They are independent of central and local government, and the Secretary of State has no power to direct them as to the level of rents they fix.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has considered the possibility of a special form of rent rebate for wheelchair housing in line with the rate relief arrangements for disabled people; and if he has had any representations on this matter.
§ Mr. StanleyThe rent rebate scheme provides additional assistance for handicapped people generally through an 11.5 per cent. enhancement of the needs allowance with which income is compared when entitlement is assessed. I am not aware of any recent representations on the matter.