§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current year's budget by local authorities for energy conservation investment in public sector housing, including improved thermal efficiency of domestic heating, and thermal insulation, and what is the planned saving in energy costs.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe installation of central heating and insulation in existing council houses is accepted for subsidy purposes if it forms part of a comprehensive scheme of improvement or conversion, but no records are maintained centrally of the various items of work which are covered by expenditure by authorities on existing stock. Owing to the current financial stringency it has been necessary to introduce measures in the current financial year to limit authorities' total expenditure on their existing stock, and this limitation will extend to work on thermal insulation.
Higher mandatory standards for thermal insulation in new housing came into effect on 31st January but, since these standards are minima, authorities are at liberty to build to higher standards, providing that the extra cost of any higher standards can be met from within the housing cost yardstick plus 10 per cent. tolerance.
Because of the very varied circumstances in which improved domestic heating and insulation can be installed by individual authorities, it is not possible to quantify the planned saving in energy costs.