HC Deb 23 February 1983 vol 37 cc456-7W
29. Mr. Allan Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will increase capital investment in housing maintenance and repairs following the publication of the English house condition survey 1981.

Mr. Stanley

For 1982–83, authorities have been told that they may spend without limit on home improvement grants and have been invited to bid for additional allocations for expenditure for other purposes including improvements to, and repair of, their own stock. Additional allocations of up to £166 million have so far been approved for 222 authorities, a substantial proportion of which are for such improvements and repairs. For 1983–84, gross provision of £2,488 million for local authority housing investment will allow an increase of some 15 per cent. on likely outturn this year. Authorities have also been told that retrospective allocations will be available if they spend above their indicative figures on home improvement grants next year providing they spend up to their HIP allocation.

31. Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the current level of housing improvement work.

Sir George Young

Separate statistics on the value of housing improvement work are not collected. Published figures for housing repairs and maintenance—including improvement—suggest that output was fairly steady in real terms for the two years up to September 1982. The recent initiatives which the Government have taken have provided a considerable stimulus to housing improvement and repair work grant-aided from public funds and I would expect this to be reflected in the figures for 1982–83.

32. Mr. Sainsbury

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the number of applicants for discretionary improvement grants who have been unable to obtain grants because their local authority is not making sufficient funds available to meet demand.

Mr. Stanley

Information on the number of applications for home improvement grants which are not approved by local authorities is not available to the Department. However, the measures which the Government have taken to increase the resources available for spending on home improvement grants in both 1982–83 and 1983–84 has meant a remarkable increase in the number of grants approved by local authorities.