§ Mr. Michael J. MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve rural housing in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AtkinsThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but the chief executive has advised me that following extensive consultations the Housing Executive completed a review of its rural policy and in June 1991 published a revised policy statement titled "The Way Ahead". This sets out a strategy for improving rural housing in the short, medium and long term. The executive, as part of its short-term strategy, has already designated 67 rural priority areas in which grants are actively targeted and where an enhanced grants package is available for the provision of mains water, sewerage and electricity services. Allied to this, the demolition criterion has been relaxed and the provision of amenity blocks introduced which will allow a greater number of properties to qualify for grant aid. The scope of the improvement grant scheme has also been widened to include a replacement option where this is shown to be more feasible on technical grounds than improvement.