asked the Minister for the Environment (a) the amount of money provided for group/regional water supply schemes by his Department in 1983; (b) the amount paid out in grants to these schemes by his Department in 1983; (c) the amount of grants certified for these schemes by his Department so far in 1983, the amounts certified and not yet paid and the reasons for this; (d) the amount of money that will be left over and unpaid to group water schemes at the end of 1983 and if he will make a statement on these matters.
Written Answers. - Water Supply Schemes.
205.
The provision for grants to group water supply schemes in 1983 is £6.6 million.
Grants totalling £3,682,701 had been paid to group water schemes up to 30 November 1983. These payments relate to grants allocated before and during 1983. Grants are allocated to group schemes at an early stage of the schemes and grant payments are certified and made to the group as work progresses on the schemes. Final grants are not paid until work is completed on a scheme and certified by the Department's inspector as satisfactorily completed. In general and provided the payments are otherwise in order there is no delay between receipt of the necessary certificates and the making of payments apart from the time-lag of a couple of weeks or so necessary to complete payment procedures.
The amount allocated to group schemes but which had not yet matured for payment at 31 December 1982 was approximately £1.4 million; it is anticipated that the corresponding figure for 31 December 1983 will be of the same order.