asked the Minister for the Environment the number of applications received for the installation of solid fuel burning appliance from May 1979 to 21 January 1980 inclusive; the number of these applications rejected; the number paid up to, and the number of payments outstanding, at 21 January 1980.
Written Answers. - Home Improvement Grants.
505.
The receipt of applications in my Department is recorded on a weekly basis. The number of applications received for grants for solid fuel installations from the introduction of the scheme in July 1979, to the week ended 18 January 1980, was 17,981. The number of grants paid in the same period was 5,777. Rejections of applications are not recorded. The number of payments outstanding at 21 January 1980, is not known as the eligibility of many of the cases where grants had not been paid has not yet been determined, pending the receipt of contractors' certificates and subsequent inspection.
506.
asked the Minister for the Environment the number of applications received for the installation of solid fuel boilers from 21 January 1980 to 1 February 1980 and the length of time necessary to process these applications.
The number of applications for solid fuel installations received from 21 January to 1 February 1980, was 24,198.
These applications, as well as normal house improvement, new house and structural guarantee applications received in recent weeks have to be acknowledged, recorded and indexed before the question of grant eligibility can be examined. Furthermore, the processing of applications in hands at the time of the termination of the house improvement grants scheme must have priority.
Accordingly, it is not possible to indicate at this stage how long it will take to process recently received applications.
507.
asked the Minister for the Environment the number of home improvement grants applications received in the years 1977, 1978 and 1979, the number of grants paid each year and the number of payments outstanding for each of these years.
The numbers of applications for house improvement grants, including solid-fuel and private water and sewerage installations received in 1977, 1978 and 1979 were 18,907, 37,550 and 52,533 respectively; the numbers of grants paid were 15,807, 18,935 and 35,053 respectively. The number of payments outstanding for each of these years is not known as final payments cannot be made until either notifications of completion of work or contractors' certificates in respect of solid-fuel installations are received and inspections carried out.
508.
asked the Minister for the Environment the number of home improvement grants applications received from 21 January 1980 to 1 February 1980.
The number of applications for house improvement grants, including solid-fuel installations, received from 21 January 1980 to 1 February 1980, was 44,816.