§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been allocated in the current financial year to help pensioners, one-parent families and disabled people insulate their homes; how much of this has been paid out so far; and if he is satisfied that there are sufficient staff in his Department to prevent delays.
§ Sir George Young:Some £31 million has been allocated to local authorities in England for grant under the homes insulation scheme in the current financial year. No special allocations are made for particular groups, but elderly or severely disabled people on low incomes can qualify for 90 per cent. grants (for everyone else the rate is 66 per cent.).
Provisional figures for the first quarter of the current financial year indicate that some £5.6 million has been spent on 101,900 grants as a whole; these include £2.1 million on 31,700 90 per cent. grants.
Local housing authorities administer the scheme and are responsible for ensuring that sufficient staff are available.