To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government have completed their consultations on the proposed new expenditure limits for grant eligible reinstatement works under the housing defects legislation; and if he will make a statement.
I am most grateful to all those who have responded to our consultation proposals; we have, as a result, been able to settle the final figures for each designated house type. Our suggestion that the limits should be revised within a structure of six main cost bands was widely welcomed, as indeed were most of the individual proposals. Some concern was expressed as to whether £32,000 would be sufficient for repairs to Airey and Schindler and Hawksley SGS houses, and we have therefore decided instead to place these types within the £36,000 cost band.The new limits will therefore be as follows:
New limit house type | Present limit £ |
£20,000 | |
Cornish unit (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
Gregory | 17,000 |
Unity and Butterley (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
£24,000 | |
Dorran (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
Myton (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
Newland (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
Tarran (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
Wessex (1 storey PRC) | 17,000 |
£28,000 | |
Cornish unit (2 storey PRC) | 23,000 |
Stent | 23,000 |
Unity and Butterley (2 storey PRC) | 23,000 |
£32,000 | |
Boswell | 27,000 |
Dorran (2 storey PRC) | 27,000 |
Dyke | 27,000 |
Myton (2 storey PRC) | 27,000 |
Newland (2 storey PRC) | 27,000 |
Stonecrete | 27,000 |
Tarran (2 storey PRC) | 27,000 |
Underdown | 27,000 |
Waller | 27,000 |
Wates | 27,000 |
Winget | 27,000 |
£36,000 | |
Airey | 27,000 |
Schindler and Hawksley SGS | 27,000 |
Smith | 27,000 |
£40,000 | |
Boot Pier and Panel | 31,000 |
Orlit | 31,000 |
Parkinson | 31,000 |
Reema Hollow Panel | 31,000 |
Wessex (2 storey PRC) | 31,000 |
Woolaway | 31,000 |
£14,000 | |
All locally designated types | 14,000 |
The parliamentary order implementing these new limits has now been made by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales and, provided that Parliament is content, will come into operation on Tuesday 31 March. My officials will be writing to local authorities, home owners groups, repairers and the professional bodies, to make sure that all those with an interest are fully aware of all the changes.