asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of applications for office development permits which his Department has received for (a) inner London, (b) outer London and (c) the rest of the Metropolitan area for each year since 1974–75; and how many permits in each area were granted.
The figures are as follows:a pensioner over 75 years of age, owner-occupied, rented and council owned, and (
f) in single pensioner households with a a pensioner over 75 years of age, owner-occupied, rented and council owned.
It is estimated that of the 5 million or so uninsulated lofts in the private sector about 20 per cent. are in private rented houses and the remainder in houses which are owner occupied. About 2 million houses in the public sector are similarly uninsulated. It is estimated that the distribution of uninsulated pensioner households amongst the categories referred to is approximately as follows: 733,000 owner occupied; 260,000 private rented; 562,000 council owned. The information requested at (e) and (f) is not available.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, on the basis of survey figures for December 1975, 1976 and 1977 available to the Government, what is the estimated annual pace of loft insulation works expressed in terms of number of households insulated per year, and years required to insulate all remaining houses with accessible lofts for (a) all households, (b) all pensioner households, (c) all pensioner households in the private sector, and (d) all pensioner households in public sector housing.
Detailed data for 1975 and 1976 is not held by the Department. The number of homes acquiring loft insulation during 1977 was estimated as follows:
| (a) total households | 343,800 |
| (b) pensioner households | 35,300 |
| (c) pensioner households in private sector | 20,900 |
| (d) pensioner households in public sector | 14,400 |
| DOMESTIC RATES IN ENGLAND AND WALES(1) | |||||
| Percentage change on previous year | Percentage change on previous year | Percentage change on previous year | |||
| 1946–47 | 7 | 1957–58 | 5 | 1968–69 | 2 |
| 1947–48 | 14 | 1958–59 | 3 | 1969–70 | 5 |
| 1948–49 | -2 | 1959–60 | 4 | 1970–71 | 5 |
| 1949–50 | 2 | 1960–61 | 4 | 1971–72 | 16 |
| 1950–51 | 1 | 1961–62 | 5 | 1972–73 | 13 |
| 1951–52 | 7 | 1962–63 | 8 | 1973–74 | 10 |
| 1952–53 | 4 | 1963–64 | 9 | 1974–75(2) | 14 (25) |
| 1953–54 | 10 | 1964–65 | 6 | 1975–76(2) | 35 (24) |
| 1954–55 | 2 | 1965–66 | 11 | 1976–77 | 9 |
| 1955–56 | 1 | 1966–67 | 10 | 1977–78 | 15 |
| 1956–57 | 20 | 1967–68 | 1 | 1978–79 | 9 |
| (1)For the period 1946–47 to 1966–67 the figures represent changes in rate poundages adjusted as far as possible to exclude the effect of revaluation. For 1967–77 and subsequent years the figures represent changes in rate payments for domestic heriditament. The figures are net of domestic element grant but include rate rebates. | |||||
| (2)Adjusted to take account of special domestic relief announced in July 1974. The figures in brackets represent the changes before adjustment for special domestic relief. | |||||
sible to distinguish between different categories of household.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is the Government's intention to wait until all non-pensioner lofts have been insulated, before proceeding with a special scheme for the elderly and others under the Homes Insulation Act.
The first scheme under the Homes Insulation Act is not confined to non-pensioner lofts. A special scheme for the elderly and others would be considered in the light of experience with the first scheme, available resources and prevailing energy conservation needs.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment approximately how many years it will take to insulate every presently uninsulated loft in pensioner households in the private housing sector if absolute priority were given by local authorities in applications made under the Homes Insulation Act and the sums presently allocated remained unchanged.
Approximately two to three years.