§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the reasons for the differences in the trends since 1989 in the number of low income households applying for grants from the homes insulation scheme and of businesses applying for the equivalent scheme, the energy management assistance scheme, as published in tables 6.29 and 6.30 of the Northern Ireland Expenditure Plans and Priorities 1994–95 to 1996–97. [19865]
§ Mr. AncramThe two schemes are not comparable as they are targeted at different groups and provide different forms of assistance.
Regarding the homes insulation scheme, the reduced number of completions from 1989–90 were the result of (i) changes in the eligibility conditions from 11 April 1988 and (ii) action by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to insulate its own properties in parallel with the homes insulation scheme.
The energy efficiency survey scheme was launched in June 1988 and the figures reflect a normal build up of applications. This was given further impetus in 1992 when the scheme was replaced by the energy management assistance scheme which provided grant aid for a wider range of energy efficiency measures.