§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, pursuant to the reply of the Undersecretary of State for the Environment, the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg) on 12 July 1979, he will make a statement on his policy regarding the proposed European Economic Community's Council of Ministers' draft directive (78) 449 on construction products.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergAs I told the House on 4 February 1980, the Government welcome the objective of the proposed directive to remove barriers to trade but will wish to secure amendments to the text of the proposed
Estimates of households (000s) in England and Wales entitled to, and receiving rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates: 1979 Rent rebates Rent allowances Rate rebates Entitled Receiving Entitled Receiving Entitled Receiving Households without child 970 795 370 190 3,020 2,320 Two-parent families 280 130 30 10 620 240 One-parent families 100 50 210 120 All households 1,350 975 400 200 3,850 2,680 Note: The total numbers of households receiving the three forms of housing assistance are for March-April 1979 and are based on returns from local authorities. The total numbers entitled to benefit are derived from the 1979 family expenditure survey. Both sets of figures exclude households on supplementary benefit. The figures for rent allowances refer to the unfurnished sector only.
A similar breakdown for other years could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Year by year comparisons would in any case be unreliable because the estimates, based on small sample surveys, are subject to large sampling errors.
64Wdirective on many important points and also to look very hard at the case for each implementing directive when it is brought forward.
The United Kingdom has maintained a formal reserve in the Council working group on economic questions on the proposal that implementing directives should be adopted by an innovatory procedure which would derogate from Parliamentary and Ministerial control. No conclusions have yet been reached by the working group. We are continuing to consult representatives of the United Kingdom construction industry regularly.