§ Mr. Hawksleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has decided how almshouse charities and hostels associations should be required to use surpluses appearing in their grant redemption funds.
§ Mr. GowMy right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have decided that grant redemption fund surpluses arising from the accommodation of almshouse charities and associations specialising in the provision and management of hostels, to which licence charges rather than fair rents are applied, should be used in the first instance to offset revenue deficits assessed and approved by their Departments in any accounting period. They propose that any sums remaining from these surpluses should be retained by these almshouse charities and hostels associations for use on their housing activities. Individual associations affected will be notified in due course in accordance with section 131(5) of the Housing Act 1980.