§ Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to announce his decision relating to the application by the Caradon district council for a derelict land clearance grant in respect of the site formerly occupied by HMS Fisgard, Torpoint; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TraceyThe Caradon district council's application for derelict land grant is under consideration by my Department along with many such applications from other authorities, both in the south-west region and nationally. A decision on whether funds can be made available in 1987–88 for the proposal will be made early in 1987.
§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average gross weekly rent for all local authority tenants in England in April 1979 and each subsequent year to 1986; and what proportion of average weekly earnings these gross weekly rent payments represent in each of those years.
§ Mr. RidleyThe estimated figures are as follows:
934WDomestic rate relief grant figures for 1983–84 and 1984–85 are final entitlements; those for 1985–86 and 1986–87 are first estimates. Block grant figures for 1983–84 and 1984–85 are entitlements after holdback based upon provisional outturn expenditure; those for 1985–86 are entitlements after holdback based on budgets; those for 1986–87 are entitlements based on initial claims.
§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish figures showing (a) the percentage increase in domestic water rates for each year since 1978–79 for each English regional water authority and the overall average, (b) the cumulative percentage increase since 1978–79 on the same basis and (c) the average domestic water rates bill per household for each year since 1978–79 for each water authority and the overall average.
§ Mr. RidleyThe information requested is shown in the table. The average household bills are taken from charges returns made annually to DOE.
Average Weekly Unrebated Rents Local Authority Tenants England Rent £ per week As per cent. of average male adult earnings1 April 1979 6.41 6.3 1980 7.70 6.2 1981 11.42 8.1 1982 13.48 8.7 1983 13.97 8.5 1984 14.66 8.2 1985 15.54 8.1 1986 16.36 n/a 1 Men aged 21 and over working full time in all occupations Sources: CIPFA and Department of Employment
n/a = not available