§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now satisfied that his local officers have checked with the local authority concerned, all housing associations and the North-Western electricity board to identify all dwellings in Stockport and Tame side which are hard to heat and might lead to claimants qualifying for the estate rate heating addition.
§ Dr. BoysonA number of estates in the Stockport and Tameside areas have been designated as disproportionately expensive to heat for the purposes of estate rate heating additions and further estates are being investigated to see if they should be similarly designated. If the hon. Member has specific estates in mind that he thinks should be considered for designation, I will arrange for the appropriate investigations to be carried out.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many offices of his Department in Greater Manchester have carried out surveys to see which dwellings qualify for estate rate heating additions due to the high heating costs of the dwellings; and how many dwellings now qualify in each office area.
§ Dr. BoysonAll DHSS local offices in the Greater Manchester area have been involved in considering which estates in their area should qualify for estate rate heating additions and certificates have been issued by the Secretary of State as follows:
Number of certificates of designation issued by the Secretary of State covering estates in local office area DHSS Local Office Area Number Bolton 3 Farnworth 2 Leigh 2 Manchester (Central) 3 Manchester (Cheetham) 2 Manchester (Charlton) 2 Manchester (Failsworth) 1 Manchester (Longsight) 6 Manchester (Middleton) 3 Manchester (Openshaw) 2 Manchester (Rusholme) 1 Manchester (Sale) 2 Manchester (Wythenshawe) 1 Oldham None Salford North 1 Salford South None Stockport North 5 Stockport South 3 No accurate estimate is available of the number of dwellings or claimants covered by each certificate, but it is estimated that approximately 5,000 supplementary benefit claimants in Greater Manchester now receive estate rate heating additions. Consideration is being given to whether further properties in the Greater Manchester area should qualify for estate rate heating additions, including some properties in the area covered by the Oldham and Salford South offices, and a decision on any outstanding properties will be made as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects a decision to be reached on whether dwellings in Poplar court, Audenshaw, have extra high heating costs which could lead to social security claimants living in those dwellings being paid the estate rate heating addition.
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§ Dr. BoysonThe Tameside rights unit wrote to the Ashton-under-Lyme local office of the Department earlier this month suggesting that the heating system at Poplar court Audenshaw might qualify for designation as disproportionately expensive to heat for the purpose of payment of estate rate heating additions. A decision will be made as soon as possible.