§ Helen JacksonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what the projected expenditure is for each of the next five years on disabled facilities grants; and what has been spent to date in this financial year in disabled facilities grants; [84565]
(2) what plans he has for legislation to simplify the way in which grant aid for disabled adaptations are managed; [84566]
(3) what has been spent on disabled facilities grants in each of the last 10 years; [84564]
(4) what the average waiting time between assessment and completion in each local authority has been in 2001–02 for householders requesting disabled adaptations in their homes; [84563]
(5) how many households are waiting for adaptation grants to meet their disability needs in each local authority. [84562]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Government meets 60 per cent, of the total cost of local authority expenditure on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs), with the remaining 40 per cent, being met from elsewhere in local authorities budgets. The Government has, as of 15 November 2002, paid local housing authorities £66.5 million in the financial year 2002–03 in respect of their expenditure on DFGs. My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, is currently considering the allocation of funding for the three years to 2005–06, and the Government's contribution towards projected local authority expenditure on DFGs will be announced at the turn of the year.
The Government has no plans to further amend the legislation on the provision of housing adaptations for the disabled. The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England & Wales) Order 2002 came into force on 18 July 2002, and provides English and Welsh 935W local housing authorities with wide discretionary powers to provide assistance for the repair, improvement or adaptations of housing. This power can be used to provide additional financial help to a disabled person over and above any mandatory entitlement to a DFG.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Health are jointly preparing comprehensive guidance to local authorities on best practice in the organisation and delivery of a housing adaptations service for disabled people. This guidance will be issued in draft for consultation very shortly.
Total Disabled Facilities Grants payments made by English local authorities over the last 10 years are:
Year £ million 1992–93 64.96 1993–94 74.91 1994–95 90.53 1995–96 97.53 1996–97 99.75 1997–98 100.41 1998–99 107.10 1999–2000 116.42 2000–01 130.70 2001–02 145.10 The Government does not collect data either on the average waiting time for DFG, or the number of households waiting for such a grant.