§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the total number of discretionary special grants completed by local authorities to owners of houses in multiple occupation in the financial years 1979–80 to 1980–81 for each region of his Department in England; and what was the total cost of discretionary special grants completed in each region for those years;
Special Grants*: England 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 (Provisional) All grants All Grants† All grants Mandatory grants† All grants Mandatory grants Region £000 Number £000 Number £000 Number Number £000 Number Number North — — — — — — — 100 30 25 Yorkshire and Humberside 2 5 7 5 127 55 50 138 70 30 East Midlands 5 15 19 15 32 20 10 164 60 40 East Anglia 2 5 — — 8 5 5 27 15 10 South East London 21 70 32 55 549 325 240 1,832 715 560 Rest of South East 20 25 34 35 256 180 120 745 320 230 South West 2 5 2 5 50 30 20 279 125 105 West Midlands — — — — 107 40 20 185 100 75 North West 3 5 3 5 31 5 — 368 100 55 England 55 125 99 120 1,167 660 470 3,837 1,525 1,130 Notes:
* Figures are estimates including allowance for missing returns. Numbers of grants rounded to nearest five;'—' represents fewer than three grants and a corresponding amount.
†Figures are not separately available for mandatory special grants paid from 27 October 1980 to 30 June 1981.