§ 104. Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the number and value of cash grants for the improvement of old houses given to the district councils of Hawarden, Connah's Quay, Buckley, Holywell Urban and Maelor and to Flint Borough Council for the years 1968, 1969 and 1970; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasFollowing is the information:
The following grants were paid by the named authorities for the improvement of privately owned houses during the years 1968, 1969 and 1970:
Number of dwellings for which grants were paid Amount of grants, paid £ Hawarden R.D.C 1968 … … … 41 9,631 1969 … … … 44 10,240 1970 … … … 34 8,684 Connah's Quay U.D.C 1968 … … … 1 155 1969 … … … Nil Nil 1970 … … … Nil Nil Buckley U.D.C. 1968 … … … 12 2,954 1969 … … … 24 6,204 1970 … … … 24 7,674 Holywell U.D.C. 1968 … … … 1 155 1969 … … … 7 1,771 1970 … … … 15 4,981 Maelor U.D.C. 1968 … … … 14 3,881 1969 … … … 25 5,788 1970 … … … 20 7,812 Flint B.C. 1968 … … … 18 3,140 1969 … … … 4 900 1970 … … … 23 5,136 The Exchequer contribution towards these grants is equivalent to three-quarters of the loan charges on a loan equal to the grant and repayable over 20 years.
270WThe total approved expenditure on improvements to local authority-owned dwellings and the number of. dwellings involved are given below. The Exchequer contribution for this work is equivalent to three-eighths of the loan charges on a loan equal to the approved expenditure and repayable over 20 years:
Number of L. A. dwellings in schemes approved Amount of approved expenditure £ Hawarden R.D.C 1968 … … Nil Nil 1969 … … Nil Nil 1970 … … Nil Nil Connah's Ouay U.D.C. 1968 … … Nil Nil 1969 … … Nil Nil 1970 … … Nil Nil Buckley U.D.C. 1968 … … Nil Nil 1969 … … Nil Nil 1970 … … 4 8,000 Holywell U.D.C. 1968 … … Nil Nil 1969 … … 46 35 423 1970 … … Nil Nil Maelor R.D.C. 1968 … … Nil Nil 1969 … … 11 3 500 1970 … … Nil Nil Flint B.C. 1968 … … 73 12,978 1969 … … Nil Nil 1970 … … 1 2,000
§ 105. Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the moneys to be saved in the year July, 1971, to July, 1972, by excluding the district councils of Holywell Urban, Buckley and Connah's Quay and Flint Borough Council from the recently announced 75 per cent. improvement grant scheme for old houses on the basis of the grants made to the above councils in the year July, 1969, to July, 1970; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI have made no such estimate. These districts are excluded from the provisions of the Housing Bill not to save money but because they are not within a development or intermediate area.
§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) which district and borough councils in East Flintshire are excluded from giving the 75 per cent. cash grants for improvements to old houses; and if he will make a statement;
271W(2) if he will take population growth and housebuilding figures into accoun when assessing the criteria by which the 75 per cent. cash grants scheme for improvements to old houses are made and if he will make a statement;
(3) on what grounds he resolved to prevent most local authorities in Flint shire from giving 75 per cent. cash grants for improvements to old houses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasThe Housing Bill 1971, now before the House, propose: enhanced grants for house improvement: only in those local authority areas, par or the whole of which fall within a development or intermediate area. The local authorities in the East Flintshire constituency which do not come in this category are: Flint M.B., Buckley U.D. Connah's Quay U.D. and Holywell U.D