HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc665-6W
Mr. Mans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the provisions of part VIII of the local Government and Housing Act 1989; and if he will make a statement.

Sir George Young

The new renovation grant system introduced by part VIII of the 1989 Act has been in operation for just over a year. I have therefore decided that it would be timely to review how well it is working.

The review will have three main objectives:

  1. 1. To review the operation of all aspects of the house renovation grant system (and the test of resources in particular) provided by part VIII of the Local Government 666 and Housing Act 1989, to assess how far it is meeting its objectives and to identify possible obstacles (for example lack of availability of resources) to achieving them.
  2. 2. To consider what changes are desirable to address problems and anomalies identified, and to facilitate the effective operation of the grant system having regard to resource implications.
  3. 3. To make recommendations for amendments to secondary legislation and Departmental guidance to implement proposed changes, and to identify where changes to primary legislation may be desirable.

Written comments on the operation of the new grants system should he submitted to the Department (Room N12/05, 2 Marsham street) by 30 September 1991.