HC Deb 26 October 1979 vol 972 cc317-9W
Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which did not take up their full financial allocation under the Homes Insulation Act during the financial year 1978–79.

Mr. John Moore

Some 2¼ million consumers claimed the electricity discount at a total cost of £18 million, and the discount averaged £8. This compares with 718,000 discounts claimed in 1978 at a cost of £5.3 million, with an average discount of £7.44. The 1978 scheme did not extend as in 1979 to recipients of rate or rent rebate or rent allowance.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many consumers claimed electricity discounts in each board area under the 1979 scheme compared with the corresponding figures for 1978.

Mr. John Moore

Following is the information:

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

This information is not available, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the financial allocations made for each London borough under the Homes Insulation Act during the current financial year.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

These were made available in the Library on 5 September as part of the revised housing capital programme allocations.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total sum allocated for grants under the Homes Insulation Act during the current financial year; and how many dwellings are expected to be insulated as a result;

(2) how the average grant made under the Homes Insulation Act related to the estimated cost of providing adequate loft insulation in an average three-bedroomed house in (a) June 1978 and (b) at the latest available date.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The allocation for 1979–80 is about £25.4 million at 1979–80 outturn prices. This is sufficient to provide grants for about 500,000 dwellings. The average grant paid between September 1978 and June 1979 was £38, and the cost of insulating the loft of an average three-bedroomed house with a contractor was (a) £58–£63 and (b) £71.

Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum allocated for grants under the Homes Insulation Act during the financial year 1978–79; how much of this was taken up; and how many dwellings were insulated as a result.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The allocation for 1978–79 was about £22 million of which £8.4 million was taken up in grants for insulating about 220,000 dwellings.