§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the reasons for transferring the scheme to provide insulation of low income 531W households from his Department to the Energy Efficiency Office; and if he will outline the level of support offered through that scheme in each year since its inception.
§ Mr. BaldryMy Department's homes insulation scheme, under which local authorities provided grants to low-income households for loft, tank and pipe insulation was not transferred to the Energy Efficiency Office. With some 90 per cent. of lofts insulated, the scheme was replaced last April by minor works assistance, under which grants for a wider range of thermal insulation measures are available for private sector householders at the discretion of local authorities. Similar help for council tenants is provided under estate action and the housing investment programme. The energy action grants agency introduced the Department of Energy's home energy efficiency scheme on 1 January 1991 in order to reinforce the help available to low-income households for small insulation works.
Expenditure on the homes insulation scheme in England is set out in the table:
£ million 1979–80 16.1 1980–81 16.1 1981–82 23.7 1982–3 29.4 1983–84 24.9 1984–85 25.2 1985–86 27.6 1986–87 25.2 1987–88 21.3 1988–89 7.2 11989–90 7.0 1 Provisional.