§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which English district councils have applied for supplementary grants under the 1986–87 homes insulation programme.
§ Mr. John PattenI shall write to my hon. Friend with a complete list of the authorities which have applied for additional resources from the homes insulation scheme reserve.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy's Energy Efficiency Year campaigns have been very successful in encouraging householders to pay attention to the energy efficiency of their houses. This has brought forward demand for homes insulation scheme grants, and I have therefore decided to make available now up to a further £1.5 million of resources, which is being distributed to councils in England who have exhausted their present allocations.
Nearly 90 per cent. of accessible roofs in England are now insulated, and I have decided that, next year, we should now concentrate the scheme's assistance on those people who find it most difficult to afford the costs of loft insulation. I shall therefore be laying before Parliament a new scheme, withdrawing the general grant at 66 per cent. but extending the availability of the more generous 90 per cent. grant to all householders who are in receipt of housing benefit or supplementary benefit.
755WThis change will assist greatly those families with low incomes for whom it is most important to gain the maximum possible benefit from the money that they spend on heating their homes.