§ Mr. John Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the availability of funds for home improvement grants in Scotland for the year 1980–81; and if he will list the local authorities which have already stopped accepting applications for these grants, and those which he expects to have sufficient funds to continue to operate the scheme throughout the year.
§ Mr. RifkindThe resources available to local authorities for improvement grants are not separately specified, but are included in block capital allocations for assistance to the private sector. Authorities are free to determine their own spending priorities within the block allocation according to demand. Provisional allocations for 1980–81 amounting to £55.3 million were notified to authorities on 2 November.
The detailed information requested is not held centrally but it is known that some authorities have imposed restrictions 892W on applictions for improvement grants in 1979–80.