asked the Minister for Energy the reasons the attic insulation grant was discontinued; the total number of grants paid during the period of the grant; the total amount of money expended on grants; the total amount of grant applications refused; the reasons a £1 deduction was made on some grant payments; if he will make a statement on the situation pertaining to energy conservation; if he has any proposals to implement this grant within the next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Insulation Grant.
327.
A grant scheme for the insulation of domestic dwellings was introduced on 20 October 1980 and terminated on 31 December 1982. It was considered unnecessary to expend further scarce public funds to encourage the adoption of insulation procedures which in themselves are commercially attractive. The total number of grants paid for applications received during the period of the grant amounts to 29,159. The total amount of money expended on grants is £1,226,576.
Of the 32,871 applications eligible for consideration 3,712 have not yet been paid either because they were rejected or because they have not yet pursued their case after having been queried on some point. (The latter are still eligible for consideration.)
There was no policy to deduct £1 from any grant payments. For simplification of administration, payments were rounded down to the nearest pound. At the termination of the scheme, the public were urged to continue to insulate their attics in view of the 25 per cent heat loss through uninsulated attics. A telephone advisory service is available at 01-376666 or 375107/8 where questions on all aspects of energy conservation can be answered by technically qualified personnel. All new local authority and grant-aided houses are now insulated.
I have no proposals to reintroduce this grant, but would encourage those who have not already taken steps to insulate, to do so in the light of the short payback times involved. It is my intention and I have given special responsibility to the Minister of State, Deputy Eddie Collins, for this to promote and encourage conservation programmes through the various sectors of the economy, i.e. industry, commercial and transport users and to achieve improved insulation standards in private and other such as office buildings.