To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect of the new house renovation grant scheme on (a) the number of applications for house renovation grants, (b) the number of grants awarded and (c) the size of the grants awarded.
From a sample survey of activity in 40 local housing authorities under the new grants system it is estimated that up to the end of September in England as a whole.
(a) 5,810 grant applications have been submitted, sub-divided as follows:
Grant applications
| |
| Mandatory renovation grants | 480 |
| Discretionary renovation grants | 60 |
| Mandatory disabled facilities grants | 230 |
Grant applications
| |
| Discretionary disabled facilities grants | 230 |
| Houses in multiple occupation grant | 10 |
| Minor works assistance | 4,800 |
(b) 4,450 grants have been awarded.
(c) The average size of minor works grant awarded is £620. The sample size is, as yet, too small to allow reliable estimates to be made of the average size of renovation or disabled facilities grants.