§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 286, under what statutory authority the Northern Ireland Housing Executive suspended the statutory scheme for housing grants; and when the scheme will be reinstated.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe chairman of the Housing Executive has advised me that the statutory grants scheme has not been suspended.
It is anticipated that a new renovation grants scheme will be introduced later this year and the executive decided to concentrate its efforts in completing all existing formal detailed applications, to enable processes to be completed before the new scheme comes into operation. In that context, the executive decided not to accept new preliminary applications after 28 February 1992. Applications for special grants and grants dealing with statutory notices such as public health orders continue to be accepted, and from 14 May, the Executive has been prepared again to accept preliminary applications for certain grants relating to the disabled.