§ Sir John HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money was allocated for improvement and repairs grants to each local authority in England for 1991–92 and 1992–93.
§ Sir George YoungResources are not allocated to local authorities solely for expenditure on grants for repairs and improvements. Each authority receives an overall allowance for specified capital grant, as part of its annual housing investment programme allocation, to support private sector renewal work, including house renovation grants. This covers the Exchequer contribution towards their expenditure—75 per cent. in the case of grants. Figures for specified capital grant received by each local authority for 1991–92 and 1992–93 are given in the HIP allocation tables for the local authorities in England, copies of which are available in the Library.
§ Sir John HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for each quarter from July to September 1990 onwards, what was the number of(a) applications and (b) approvals in England for (i) renovation grants, (ii) disabled facilities grants and (iii) minor works assistance.
§ Sir George YoungFigures for the numbers of approvals of mandatory and discretionary renovation834W grants and disabled facilities grants, together with approvals of minor works assistance, in England are shown in the quarterly publication "Housing and Construction Statistics: Part 2"—tables 2.17, 2.19 and 2.21 respectively. Copies of this publication are in the Library.
The latest edition of this publication gives figures up to the December quarter 1991. Figures for the March quarter 1992 are as follows:
Applications approved: England: March quarter 1992 Numbers of grants Renovation grants: Mandatory 8,700 Discretionary 1,300 Disabled facilities: Mandatory 5,000 Discretionary 60 Minor works assistance 7,800 There are no corresponding figures available for the number of applications for these grants.
§ Sir Malcolm ThorntonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a table setting out the value of home improvement grants in the private sector for each year between 1981 and 1991.
§ Sir George YoungFigures showing the amount of housing renovation grants paid to private owners and tenants for each year between 1981 and 1991 are published in "Housing and Construction Statistics". Figures for 1981 to 1988 are in the annual version "Housing and Construction Statistics 1980–1990: Great Britain", table 7.3.
Figures for 1989–91 are in the quarterly version "Housing and Construction Statistics, December Quarter 1991, Part 2: Great Britain". Grants made under the Housing Act 1985 are in table 2.18 and grants made under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, effective from July 1990 in England and Wales, are in table 2.17.
§ Sir John HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent by local authorities in England on mandatory renovation grants, discretionary renovation grants, mandatory disabled facilities grants, discretionary disabled facilities grants, minor works assistance-staying-put grants, minor works assistance-thermal insulation, minor works assistance patch-and-mend and minor works assistance-elderly relative, for each quarter since July 1990.
§ Sir George YoungFigures for final payments of mandatory and discretionary renovation grants and disabled facilities grants in England are published in the quarterly publication "Housing and Construction Statistics: Part 2"—tables 2.17 and 2.19 respectively. It also gives information about final payments of minor works assistance as a whole, table 2.21. Copies of this publication are in the Library.
The latest edition gives figures up to the December quarter 1991. Figures for the March quarter 1992 are as follows:
835W
Final payments: England: March quarter 1992: £ thousands Renovation grants Mandatory 72,808 Discretionary 5,337
£ thousands Disabled facilities grants Mandatory 14,262 Discretionary 281 Minor works assistance 4,803 The only information about the different types of minor works assistance available relates to the financial year 1990–91. The figures for final payments are as follows:
Final payments: England: 1990–91 £ thousands Minor works assistance: Elderly householder to "stay put" 6,328 Thermal insulation 1,610 Elderly person to become or remain resident 315 Temporary improvement of property to be cleared 1 The Department provides a 75 per cent. Exchequer contribution towards local authorities expenditure on grants. The exception to this is for disabled facilities grants to council tenants; expenditure on these grants is eligible for 100 per cent. subsidy from the housing revenue account.
§ Sir John HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of renovation grants in 1991–92 were paid to(a) owner-occupiers and (b) tenants.
§ Sir George YoungThe only figures currently available about the tenure of persons receiving renovation grants relate to the financial year 1990–91. During that period, 93 per cent. of grants went to owner-occupiers with virtually all of the remaining 7 per cent. going to private sector landlords and housing associations as landlords.