Vol. 525 No. 3
329 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the proposals he has to review or reform the social repairs scheme in view of the backlog of cases within local authorities and the ineffectiveness of the scheme in relation to the legal requirements and the lack of participation in some areas by the construction industry. [25013/00]
I understand that the Deputy is referring to the scheme of improvement works to private houses in lieu of local authority housing. This scheme enables a local authority to improve or extend privately owned accommodation occupied or intended to be occupied by an approved applicant for local authority housing as an alternative to the provision of local authority accommodation.
My Department recently completed an examination of the cost limit of works which may be carried out to any house under the scheme without the prior approval of my Department. Accordingly, from 1 November 2000 the threshold limit for works which may be carried out without the prior approval of my Department was raised from £20,000 to £50,000. This new threshold will allow local authorities to proceed with a higher proportion of improvement works without requiring my Department's prior approval.
Applicants who benefit from works carried out under the scheme are required to make repayments to the local authority related to the cost of the works and the applicant's ability to pay. In order to protect the expenditure of public funds on private property, it is necessary for the local authority to enter into a legal agreement with applicants.
I am aware of capacity constraints in the building industry which are impacting on the delivery of various social housing measures. The final report of the forum for the construction industry, Expanding the Capacity of the Construction Industry, was published last month. An interdepartmental group, led by my Department, is now finalising an action plan to increase the overall capacity of the construction industry including the housing sector, drawing on the forum's recommendations. This action plan will be published shortly.
Question No. 330 taken with Question No. 123.
