§ Mr. O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice and assistance he offers to housing authorities on energy conservation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThe homes insulation scheme, administered by housing authorities and funded by the DOE, provides 90 per cent. grants for loft insulation in qualifying dwellings where householders are recipients of income support, family credit or housing benefit. A DOE booklet for scheme applicants, distributed to all authorities, includes detailed guidance to those who wish to carry out the work themselves.
Estate Action provides advice and financial assistance to local authorities based on the Department's publication "Energy Efficient Renovation of Housing", and research at the Building Research Establishment. In addition advice is available to housing authorities from BRE through its newly launched technical consultancy arid through seminars, workshops and its many publications. These include information papers, defect action sheets and digests as well as reports such as the planned design guides on cavity wall insulation and LPS buildings and the BRE video on the remedies for condensation and mould. Housing authorities can also use BREDEM BRE's domestic energy model) to evaluate all aspects of energy conservation, including insulation, heating, ventilation and the likely behaviour of householders.