§ Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give further details of the housing improvement measures announced in the Chancellor's Budget statement on 15 March.
§ Mr. StanleyThe Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget Statement on 15 March that400W eligible expense limits for home improvement grants are to be increased by 20 per cent. and that additional capital allocations are to be available for enveloping.
Present limits on the expenditure eligible for grants were set in December 1980. The proposed increase will require the approval of Parliament, and the necessary order will be laid shortly. Subject to its approval the new limits set out in the table below will come into effect in May this year.
Any grant approved after the coming into effect of the order will be eligible for the increased level of eligible expense. Existing applicants whose applications have not been approved and who might benefit from the increase will be able to reapply. However, where a grant has already been approved—even if work has not begun—the applicant will not be able to submit a new application to take advantage of the higher limits.
I informed the House on 14 December 1982, in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant)—[Vol. 34, c. 104]—that additional capital allocations would be made available retrospectively in the light of outturn expenditure on home improvement grants in 1983–84 to any authority whose expenditure both exceed the indicative figure in its HIP allocation letter and whose total housing capital expenditure exceeds its HIP allocation. Such authorities will therefore have any additional expenditure arising from this increase in eligible expense limits met by additional allocations.
DOE Circular 29–82 described the arrangements under which enveloping has become a mainstream housing policy, available in housing action areas to all local authorities in England using resources from their housing investment programmes. Following the Chancellor's announcement, where an authority submits an enveloping scheme that is approved, it will automatically receive an additional capital allocation for the cost of the work to be undertaken in 1983–84. These additional allocations will not, however, count towards an authority's outturn expenditure on improvement grants for the purpose of calculating whether its improvement expenditure has reached its indicative figure.
There is no limit on the amount of the additional allocation or allocations that an individual authority may receive for approved enveloping schemes in 1983–84.
Proposed increases in eligible expense limits
Subject to parliamentary approval the new eligible expense limits for home improvement grants are set out below. The present limits are shown in brackets.401W
Intermediate Grants Standard amenities Maximum eligible amount (£) Description of amenity In Greater London Elsewhere A fixed bath or shower 450 (375) 340 (285) A hot and cold water supply at a fixed bath or shower 570 (475) 430 (360) A wash-hand basin 175 (145) 130 (110) A hot and cold water supply at a wash-hand basin 300 (250) 230 (190) A sink 450 (375) 340 (285) A hot and cold water supply at a sink 380 (315) 290 (240) A water closet 680 (565) 515 (430) Repairs element
Full repairs element—£4,200 (£3,500) in Greater London; £3,000 (£2,500) elsewhere.Minor repairs—£420 (£350) per standard amenity in Greater London (subject to a maximum of £1,680 (£1,400); and £300 (£250) per standard amenity elsewhere (subject to a maximum of £1,200 (£1,000)).
Improvement Grants In Greater London Elsewhere Priority case Non Priority case Priority case Non Priority case Improvements Dwellings which are not listed buildings 13,800 (11,500) 9,000 (7,500) 10,200 (8,500) 6,600 (5,500) Listed Buildings— Grade I 15,540 (12,950) 10,740 (8,950) 11,940 (9,950) 8,340 (6,950) Grade II* 14,840 (12,370) 10,040 (8,370) 11,240 (9,370) 7,640 (6,370) Grade II 14,320 (11,930) 9,520 (7,930) 10,720 (8,930) 7,120 (5,930) Conversions Dwellings which are not listed buildings 16,000 (13,300) 10,400 (8,700) 11,800 (9,800) 7,700 (6,400) Listed buildings Grade I 17,700 (14,750) 12,180 (10,150) 13,500 (11,250) 9,420 (7,850) Grade II* 17,000 (14,170) 11,480 (9,570) 12,800 (10,670) 8,720 (7,270) Grade II 16,490 (13,740) 10,970 (9,140) 12,290 (10,240) 8,210 (6,840
Special Grants Standard amenities Increases for individual amenities as for intermediate grants In Greater London Elsewhen Means of escape from fire 10,800 (9,000) 8,100 (6,750) Repair and replacement 4,200 (3,500) 3,000 (2,500) Repair Grants Dwellings which are not listed buildings 6,600 (5,500) 4,800 (4,000) Listed buildings— Grade I 7,480 (6,230) 5,680 (4,730) Grade II* 7,130 (5,940) 5,330 (4,440) Grade II 6,860 (5,720) 5,060 (4,220)