§ Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any evidence that property developers are misusing improvement grants by claiming grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1974 for properties sold on a long lease; and whether he is generally satisfied with his Department's monitoring procedures in this field.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe payment of grant in any particular case is by statute a matter for the local authority concerned which in order to obtain the relevant Exchequer contribution must certify to the Department that the conditions for payment of grant have been met. The payments are also subject to the scrutiny of the district auditor. No evidence of the practice to which the hon. Member refers has been brought to my attention.