asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the anomaly existing in the matter of the new grant scheme under which a corporation house purchaser who, to date may have paid much more in house repayments than a rent-paying tenant does not qualify for the same financial assistance in circumstances where he is yielding up his house to the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - New House Grant Scheme.
531.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the fact that persons who have been tenant-purchasers of local authority dwellings for not less than six months and who surrender possession of their dwellings to purchase a new private house may qualify for the mortgage subsidy but not the new house grant whereas in similar circumstances tenants of local authority dwellings may qualify for both the mortgage subsidy and the new house grant. This has been the situation since the mortgage subsidy was introduced in April 1981. I do not consider that the introduction of the £5,000 grant has given rise to any anomaly in the matter.