§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was allocated to living over the shop schemes under the flats over shops funding programme in 1993–94, how much has been spent; and what was the average length of lease obtained by housing associations involved in such schemes.
§ Sir George YoungTen million pounds was allocated to the flats over shops programme in 1993–94. Early indications are that 97 per cent. of this has been spent. However, we are unable to confirm this until the final claims for supplementary credit approvals—SCAs—have been received from local authorities. SCAs are issued retrospectively, following the receipt of a certified claim giving details of expenditure. Local authorities have six months following the end of the relevant financial year in which to submit claims. Data on the average length of lease obtained by housing associations in 1993–94 are not yet available. For the first year of the programme, 1992–93, an average lease length of 13 years was obtained.