§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he takes to ensure that council tenants are receiving equal treatment under the disabled facilities grant system; and what is the tenure breakdown of disabled facilities grant approvals.
§ Mr. YeoCouncil tenants may apply for disabled facilities grants on the same terms as owner occupiers and private-sector tenants, and the local authority must approve or refuse an application within six months of the date it is made. Information on the tenure breakdown of disabled facilities grant approvals is not yet available.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will consider adjusting regulations surrounding the test of resources for disabled facilities grants to enable the test to be applied solely to the disabled person for whom the adaptation is required;
(2) if he will consider adjusting the regulations surrounding the test of resources for disabled facilities grants to enable mortgage responsibilities to be taken into account.
§ Mr. YeoWe have received a number of representations from local authorities, grant applicants and others on these matters and will be considering them as part of our review of the house renovation grant system later this year.
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§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has for helping home improvement agencies extend the service previously provided to elderly people to younger disabled people.
§ Mr. YeoUnder the new arrangements for funding home improvement agencies introduced on 1 April 1991, such agencies are being encouraged to help all those in need including younger disabled people.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to ensure all new houses are accessible to disabled people.
§ Mr. YeoWe have done much in recent years to widen the field of organisations providing housing for the disabled, especially within the housing association movement. The Housing Corporation now requires all new build and, if possible, rehabilitation schemes to be built to mobility standards wherever practicable. We have also supported initiatives to encourage private-sector housebuilders to make it a priority that all new housing is built to be accessible to disabled people, to `visitability' standard.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the figures of the fourth quarter on disabled facilities grant approvals and payments.
§ Mr. YeoThis information is published in table 2.19 of "Housing and Construction Statistics: Great Britain, December Quarter 1990, Part A copy of the table has been placed in the Library.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to meet the accommodation needs of carers of disabled people living independently in the community.
§ Mr. YeoCurrently, it is for local authorities and individual housing associations to decide whether to take account of carers' needs when allocating tenancies to disabled people. However, from 1 April 1993, or sooner if local authorities are able, social services departments will be obliged to take account of carers' needs when assessing the needs of disabled people as part of the community care planning process.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has plans to consult organisations of and for disabled people in the forthcoming review of the disabled facilities grant system.
§ Mr. YeoYes. Officials plan to meet a range of disability organisations shortly to discuss the operation of the new grants system. They will also be inviting written comments from disability groups with an interest in the review.