§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will bring up to date the reply given to the hon. Member for Melton by the Under-Secretary of State on 10 November 1982, Official Report, c. 201, regarding authorised work on home improvements; and whether he will give similar information regarding repairs grants.
§ Sir George YoungOn 25 November—[Vol. 32, c.559–61]—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that the gross provision for housing investment by local authorities in 1983–84 would be £2,488 million, some 15 per cent. above the expected level of expenditure for 1982–83. In addition they would be able to carry over into 1983–84 unlimited amounts of capital receipts. On the same day each local authority was notified of a figure for expenditure on home improvement grants in 1983–84. This is known as the "indicative figure." Local authorities were advised that additional allocations would be available to any authority whose expenditure on home improvement grants in 1983–84 exceeded its indicative figure and whose total housing capital expenditure exceeded its housing investment programme allocation.
On 6 December —[Vol. 33, c. 407–8]—my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction announced that enveloping had been brought into mainstream housing investment programmes and could be undertaken in a housing action area by any local authority.
On 15 March—[Vol. 39, c. 134–57]—my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget statement that the eligible expense limits for home improvement grants are to be increased by 20 per cent. At the same time he announced that any enveloping scheme which is approved would automatically receive an additional capital allocation for the cost of the work to be undertaken in 1983–84.
On 21 March—[Vol. 39, c. 402–3]—my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction gave details of these proposals. My right hon. Friend will shortly be laying an order before Parliament. Subject to parliamentary approval, the higher grant limits will become operative in May.
This information, in so far as it refers to grants, applies to all home improvement grants including repairs grants.