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Disabled Facilities Grants

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make changes to the eligibility for disability facilities grants, with particular reference to means-testing; and if he will make a statement. [165506]

 
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Keith Hill: The Government has increased the funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) from £57 million in 1997 to £101.5 million in 2004–05. In spite of this there is still a high demand for the grant and the means test is in place to ensure that resources go to those in greatest need. Any relaxation of it would have budgetary implications or would lead to longer waiting lists.

The Government has also announced a review of the DFG programme.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, jointly with the Department of Health, will be reviewing the disabled facilities grant programme, including the operation of the means test, in the context of the Spending Review 2004. We will announce our conclusions later this year. The position in Wales is, of course, a matter for the Welsh Assembly, but we are led to believe that it will also be undertaking a review of this important issue this year.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what the total specified capital grant awarded in disabled facilities grants is for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05 in each region of England; [165011]

(2) what courses of action are available to local authorities to make up any differences between required expenditure and disabled facilities grants to comply with Government directives; [165012]

(3) what discussions his Department has had with local authorities to ascertain their expenditure plans to adapt people's homes before the awarding of disabled facilities grants; [165013]

(4) on what basis his Department calculated the disabled facilities grant in each region of England; [165014]

(5) what assessment his Department made of (a) local authorities' housing strategies and (b) house condition surveys prior to calculating disabled facilities grants. [165015]

Keith Hill: The allocation of specified capital grant (SCG) for disabled facilities grant (DFG) to each region of England for the years 2003–04 and 2004–05 are tabled as follows:
£000

Region	2003–04	2004–05
London	15,399	15,282
East of England	10,182	9,978
North East	4,454	4,365
North West	15,738	17,360
West Midlands	11,778	11,542
South West	8,558	8,387
South East	15,690	17,211
Yorkshire/Humber	10,747	10,707
East Midlands	6,454	6,325

The SCO for DFGs is paid to local authorities to contribute towards 60 per cent. of local authority expenditure incurred on mandatory DFGs up to the limit of the allocation made to each local authority at the beginning of the financial year. Local authorities must find, from their own capital resources, funding for the remaining 40 per cent. of total DFG expenditure,
 
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100 per cent. of any excess expenditure on mandatory DFGs above the allocation limit and any discretionary expenditure incurred by them in carrying out housing adaptations for disabled people. As DFG is a mandatory grant for eligible applicants, local authorities must make adequate financial provision within their budgets to meet these expenditure demands.

Local authorities are asked to submit to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister every year, in the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix to their Housing Investment Programme, their planned expenditure on mandatory DFG.

The allocation of the national budget of SCG for DFGs to each region is made on the basis of a formula. This formula comprises indices constructed according to the number of people in each region in receipt of disability living allowance and attendance allowance and also an adjustment for the regional differences in building costs. These indices are updated annually. The allocation according to the formula is limited to the total amount that the authorities in each region have said they need to cover 60 per cent. of their planned expenditure on DFGs. If the formula allocates more than this amount the residual sum is reallocated to other regions in proportion to their need. For the 2004–05 allocations, a further damping mechanism was used to ensure that no region had a cut of more than 2 per cent. in its allocation compared with the previous year.

Once the regional allocation of SCG has been established the allocation to individual local authorities is made by the Government Offices in each Region. 80 per cent. of the regional total is allocated using the same indices of need as for the regional allocation. The remaining 20 per cent. is allocated entirely at the discretion of the Government Office who can take into account any relevant local evidence of need and policy performance including an assessment of an authority's housing strategy and the role played by housing adaptations.

Environmental Health Officers

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what change in the number of environmental health officers the Government estimates will be needed in England and Wales as a result of the provisions contained within the Housing Bill; in what time frame the Government estimates that additional environmental health officers required as a result of the provisions contained within the Housing Bill will be recruited and trained; how much he estimates such recruitment will cost; how such costs will be met; and what money central Government will provide. [166295]

Keith Hill: The Government does not expect the provisions of Part 1 of the Housing Bill to require the employment of additional environment health officers. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister indicated during the Committee Stage of the Bill that the Government would meet local authorities' start-up costs associated with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and that these costs were estimated at £4–5 million.

Implementation of the licensing provisions in Parts 2 and 3 need not in itself require the recruitment of staff as specialist environmental health officers. The number of
 
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staff required and the time frame within which they are recruited and trained will be a matter for local authorities to determine. The Government is in discussions with the Local Government Association on these matters and although licensing should be self financing it is proposed to set aside £13 million to meet local authorities' start-up costs.

Fire Services

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister at what age firefighters are able to retire on a full pension; and if he will make a statement. [165465]

Mr. Raynsford: The maximum pension is payable after 30 years' service from age 50.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the Government will ensure that firemen have adequate insurance cover for (a) themselves and (b) their families against the risk of being injured or killed as a result of responding to a terrorist attack. [163119]

Mr. Raynsford: There are provisions within the conditions of service and the fire fighters pensions scheme for awards for injury and death benefit. However, the office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made aware that some insurance companies have been attempting to limit the amount of personal cover available to the fire fighters who may be required to respond to emergencies as a result of terrorist attack. The Government recognise the importance of ensuring that fire responders, including the fire and rescue service, are able to respond with confidence to a full range of emergency situations. That is why the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office is currently working with the relevant Departments to establish the extent of the problem and to examine the implications for the emergency services.

Football Stadium, Falmer

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the further representations he intends to take into account in respect of the planning application for a football stadium at Falmer, East Sussex, will be limited to (a) those commenting on the report by his planning inspector on the draft Brighton and Hove Local Plan and (b) those who had already made formal representations at or before the public inquiry into the football stadium application. [165688]

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will take into account all representations made to him, as far as they are relevant, in making his decision on the applications for a football stadium at Falmer, East Sussex.

It will be clear from the decision letter when issued what matters have been taken into account and the weight that has been attached to any particular matter.

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