§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to increase renovation grants for(a) improving the quality of housing in the private sector and (b) helping owner-occupiers on low incomes; and if he will make a statement. [94796]
§ Mr. MullinLocal authorities are responsible for paying renovation grants to help owner-occupiers on low incomes improve their homes and are funded from within the local authorities' housing capital programme, partly from subsidy allocated by central Government and partly from authorities' own resources. Decisions on the size of their renovation grant programme are taken by authorities in the light of their housing strategy and the housing needs of the different forms of tenure. From April next year, there will no longer be a separate ring-fenced allocation to support renovation grant expenditure. The resources will, instead, be included in a new single capital allocation for housing. This will give local authorities more freedom to decide the balance between investment in their own housing stock and in private sector renewal. Next year, local authorities will be allocated an additional £30 million for capital investment in housing, which is part of the additional £5 billion being made available over the life of this Parliament.