Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of (a) discretionary and (b) mandatory special grants completed by local authorities to owners of houses in multiple occupation in the financial years 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83; and what was the total cost of (i) discretionary and (ii) mandatory special grants completed for those years.
Mr. Wyn RobertsThe number and value of special grants issued in each of the years specified is:
Number of grants Total grant paid (£) 1979–80 2 1,945 1980–81 Nil Nil 1981–82 18 31,169 *1982–83 40 70,874 * Provisional All these grants were paid in respect of houses in multiple occupation, but it is not possible from the information centrally available to distinguish between mandatory and discretionary cases.