§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what schemes his Department operates to assist pensioners to install smoke alarms in their homes; and if he will make a statement. [97963]
§ Mr. MeacherThis Department does not currently operate specific programmes for the installation of smoke alarms. However the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) will include the provision of a smoke alarm in the homes of low-income over-60s households where a central heating system is installed. The installations will begin in June 2000 and it is expected that about 55,000 central heating systems will be installed by 2002.
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M18 Motorway: Daily Traffic Volumes and Motorway Capacity Link J0–J1 J1–J2 J2–J3 J3–J4 J4–J5 J5–J6 J6–J7 No. of lanes 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 Peak hour capacity (one way)1,2 6,900 6,900 4,600 4,600 4,600 6,900 6,900 1998 Daily traffic volume 77,500 66,900 46,500 35,500 38,300 41,500 38,000 Average peak hour flow (one way) 6,588 5,713 4,766 3,209 3,416 3,702 3,382 Demand as percentage of capacity 95 83 104 70 74 54 49 2000 Daily traffic volume3 82,162 70,924 49,297 37,635 40,604 43,996 40,286 Average peak hour flow (one way) 6,984 6,057 5,053 3,402 3,622 3,924 3,585 Demand as percentage of capacity 101 88 110 74 79 57 52 2005 Daily traffic volume3 94,981 81,990 56,989 43,508 46,939 50,861 46,571 Average peak hour flow (one way) 8,073 7,002 5,841 3,933 4,187 4,537 4,145 Part I of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 also allows for local authorities to provide grants towards the cost of fire precaution works. Home repair assistance may be available to people who are elderly, disabled, infirm or in receipt of income related benefit for works of up to £2,000.
Since 1992, Building Regulations have required all new dwellings in England and Wales to have a smoke alarm installed. This move, together with the Government's wider publicity and educational efforts, has helped to raise smoke alarm ownership to the current level of 82 per cent. of all households.