HC Deb 03 February 1988 vol 126 cc650-1W
Mr. Allan Roberts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his Department's estimate of(a) the number of dwellings which are currently unfit and (b) the number of dwellings which are currently below, target under the standards proposed in his Department's consultation paper on home improvement policy, issued on 5 November 1987; and what is his Department's estimate of the proportion of these dwellings which are (i) publicly and (ii) privately owned;

(2) what is his Department's estimate of the number of households who would currently qualify for (1) mandatory assistance (a) with the full cost and (b) with part of the cost of eligible work to bring their homes up to fitness and (2) discretionary assistance (a) with the full cost and (b) with part of the cost of eligible work to bring their home up to target, under the standards and the means test proposed in his Department's consultation paper on a new framework for home improvement grant aid, published on 5 November 1987;

(3) what estimates his Department has prepared of (a) future levels of expenditure and (b) future levels of activity on (i) improvement assistance; (ii) slum clearance; and (iii) group repair of dwellings under the new framework for home improvement policy, proposed in his Department's consultation paper of 5 November 1987.

Mr. Waldegrave

Firm estimates cannot be made before the results of the 1986 English house condition survey are available. Estimates of grant entitlement, and of future levels of expenditure and activity will also depend on other factors, including the eventual form of the test of applicants' resources, on which the consultation paper invited comments.

Mr. Allan Roberts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the full results of his Department's distribution of grants inquiry of 1983; and whether this will be before or after he brings forward legislation to reform the current system of grant aid for home improvements, as proposed in his Department's consultation paper of 5 November 1987.

Mr. Waldegrave

We plan to publish a further report on the Department's distribution of grant inquiry before legislation to reform the home improvement grant system is brought forward.