§ Mr. BatesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the outcome of this Department's review of the house renovation grant system.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his answer, 16 July 1992, c. 1047]: During recent months, it has become clear that the present renovation grant system is placing increasing financial pressure on a growing number of local authorities, mainly because of the demands of mandatory grants. I have concluded that there is a need to take a further thorough look at the operation of the system, in particular to examine whether it remains appropriate given the likely availability of resources in future years. Accordingly, my Department will be issuing a consultation paper early next year setting out possible options for change. I shall want to consider very carefully the views expressed by local authorities and others in response to this document.
I have today separately announced the resources which we are making available in 1993–94 to support local authorities expenditure on renovation grants, on other aspects of private housing renewal and on dealing with defective housing. I am pleased to say that, taken together with authorities' increased spending power from receipts next year, these provide for higher total expenditure than in the current financial year.