§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give full details of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's replacement grant scheme.
§ Mr. NeedhamI have been informed by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which is responsible for the administration of the house renovation grants scheme, that details of the scheme are as follows.
Replacement grants are available in respect of those dwellings where on technical and cost grounds, replacement is a more effective solution than improvement. The executive will decide through technical surveys of the dwelling and through value for money assessment —economic assessment—which dwellings will be suitable for a replacement option. In general, dwellings which are suitable subjects for improvement at reasonable costs will not be considered for replacement.
Replacement will predominantly be aimed at rural properties which are considered necessary and viable to meet the housing requirements of the rural population. Such dwellings are likely to be occupied or have recently been occupied. Where vacant, the executive will have to be satisfied that replacement will be specifically required to meet the current housing needs of the applicants or members of his or her household as sole residence for the foreseeable future. Alternatively, such dwellings will be required to be available for letting.
All new dwellings provided under this scheme will be required to meet standards set down by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the normal statutory approvals—planning, building control, etc.—will be required.
The replacement grant will initially operate within the terms of the existing improvement grants legislation, and grant will be limited to the maximum grants applicable to the current improvement grants scheme.
The details are as follows:
- 1. £9,450 at the 75 per cent. grants level.
318 - 2. £11,340 at the 90 per cent. (financial hardship) grants level.
In cases where the higher eligible expense level applies for the first time, service provision in excess of £1,500 the maximum grant levels will be increased as follows:
- 1. £12,450 (75 per cent.)
- 2. £14,940 (90 per cent.)
To qualify as being in financial hardship, applicants must be receiving housing benefit or rate rebate, income support or family credit continually for at least six months before making a formal application for grant or before the executive gives formal grant approval.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when decisions will be issued in respect of applications for replacement grants submitted in the past six months.
§ Mr. NeedhamI have been informed by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which is responsible for the administration of the house renovation grants scheme, that no formal applications for replacement grants have been submitted in the past six months. I am also informed that to date the executive has only received preliminary inquiries and that decisions on these will be issued in individual cases where replacement is determined to be the appropriate course of action. Formal applications supported by the required documentation will then have to be submitted for processing and approval.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many applications for replacement grants have been received by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; and in how many cases a decision has been issued;
(2) how many replacement grants have been awarded by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
§ Mr. NeedhamI have been informed by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which is responsible for the administration of the house renovation grants scheme, that no completed formal applications have yet been received and as a result no replacement grants have yet been awarded.