7.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning how many applications have been received for further education boards of governors positions.

(AQO 892/01)

Three hundred and seventeen applications were received.

I thank the Minister for that concise answer. Why was it necessary to advertise twice for applications for positions on the boards?

Advertisements were placed in local papers twice to gain the number of applications that were needed for particular colleges. The Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 specifies that governors must be drawn from certain backgrounds. There were insufficient responses to the first advertisement from those with the appropriate backgrounds, particularly from the business sector.

Given that governors are ultimately responsible for overseeing the finances of colleges, how adequate are the financial management skills and training of governors? What is the Minister's Department doing to address any shortcomings?

In the last few years, further education colleges took over their management from the education and library boards. Some are managing better than others. That is why the criteria for governors are so important. A board of governors must comprise members with specific backgrounds, particularly from business and other professions, members from the further education college itself and a representative of the student body. The board requires members who have that expertise.

What steps has the Department taken to ensure that boards of governors are representative of the religious balance of catchment areas?

I am sure that the Department deals with that, but I do not have the answer here. I will respond to the Member in writing.

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8.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what strategy the Springvale Outreach Centre will employ to ensure wider access by the community in west Belfast to courses at the proposed Springvale University.

(AQO 901/01)

I believe in the principles of regeneration, reconciliation and education for local people, which are the principles of the Springvale Outreach Centre. Education for local people is widening access to education. It is for local partners to ensure that the strategy fits with these principles, and I will meet with them to offer all the help and support that I can.

I thank the Minister for her reply. I raised the issue with her predecessor, Dr Farren. I know that the Minister cannot commit herself to a date for a meeting today. However, given the need for Springvale to be a centre of excellence for education, the importance of regeneration for that area and the huge amount of public money that goes to it, can the Minister assure the House that, when she meets the area's social partners, she will seek to provide some of them with resources?

As the local partnerships span west Belfast, the Shankill and north Belfast, it has been difficult to ensure that they are resourced and will benefit the community in the final analysis - an issue that we have raised with the Department.

I am aware of some of those problems, and I will do my best to ensure that all the partners are kept informed and on board.

Recent research commissioned by the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister illustrated the extent of non-progression to further and higher education, particularly among Protestant working-class males. What will be done in the light of that to ensure that Springvale will actively seek the involvement of that marginalised and volatile sector of our society?

If Springvale is to be a centre of excellence - and it must be no less than that - it is essential that it is outward looking and involves the wider community, including the Shankill.

9.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what measures have been put in place to encourage more young people to take up training in the construction industry.

(AQO 899/01)

Responsibility for encouraging young people to take up training in the construction industry rests with the Construction Industry Training Board (Northern Ireland) (CITB), which is the only remaining statutory training board in Northern Ireland. Its remit is defined under the relevant legislation as the encouragement of adequate training of persons employed or intending to be employed in the industry. The Department facilitates the industry through the work of the careers service and provides funding for trainees and apprentices in the sector through Jobskills, Focus for Work and New Deal.

I thank the Minister for her response. Does the Department recognise that the number of young people who take up such trades has decreased? Does it recognise that those trades are essential to the future well-being of Northern Ireland? Does the Department intend to develop a programme that will encourage more young people to take up traditional building trades?

Employment levels in the construction industry have grown constantly in the last few years, and the effect of growth in the industry in the South has caused a tight labour market. The Member is right - it is more difficult now to encourage young people to take up these trades. In the last full year, staff from the CITB made a total of 478 school visits. Since 1995, the board has invested £50,000 per annum of its levy in careers promotion. Activities have included job sampling across a wide range of construction skills, careers publications that explain the opportunities on offer and attendance at events such as school open days. I agree that we must do all that we can to encourage young people to learn those skills.

10.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what financial support exists for students at further education colleges.

(AQO 886/01)

The main support that is available includes the remission of tuition fees for full-time students, aged 19 years and above, on vocational further education courses; discretionary access bursaries for full-time further and higher education students, aged 19 years and above; and support funds for part-time and full-time students, aged 19 and above, whose access to or participation in further education is inhibited by financial considerations. In addition, higher education students have access to student loans.

I welcome the change in provision for that category of students in the past year or two. What help is available for further education students who suffer financial hardship? Are there any plans to increase such help?

Support funds are earmarked funds for further education colleges to provide financial help to students whose access to or participation in further education is inhibited by financial considerations or to those who, for whatever reason, including physical or other disability, face financial difficulties in meeting their living costs. The available funding has increased significantly in recent years. For example, new money was made available following the abolition of full-time tuition fees to compensate colleges for their subsequent loss of income. The support fund budgets, which assist students who face financial hardship, have increased significantly from £665,000 in 1998-99 to £1·6 million in 2001-02. The residual threshold at which a tuition contribution becomes due for higher education has been raised to £20,000.

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11.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning if Walsh visas remain available to those seeking work-related training in the United States of America.

(AQO 876/01)

The US legislation will provide visas under the Walsh visa programme until September 2002. My Department continues to promote the programme and to recruit participants. Some 30 young people are currently engaged in pre-departure training. They are due to travel to the United States on 3 March 2002.

A short time remains for those who wish to take up the programme. Is the Minister satisfied with the progress of the Walsh programme so far?

Following the start-up phase, recruitment, selection, pre-departure training and US hub management have been strengthened significantly. Those measures have ensured that participants are better prepared and better supported to meet the challenge of living and working in the United States. They will also be better prepared for their return to Northern Ireland.

12.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail when the learndirect network will be extended to all district council areas.

(AQO 877/01)

The University for Industry Ltd has approved the proposals for a learndirect centre in all district council areas, with the exception for now of that of Larne Borough Council. A total of 31 centres, including one in Omagh, are operating already. A further three will be opened in the near future.

I am reflecting on the shock expressed by those to my left.

I appreciate the Minister's answer. However, she should note the concern at the length of time that it has taken the learndirect network to become fully operational. That is of particular concern in an area such as Strabane. A learndirect centre would greatly assist the rejuvenation of the area. I declare an interest as a member of Strabane District Council.

Is the Minister aware of any reasons for the North West Institute of Higher and Further Education's not being awarded a learndirect contract in Strabane?

The question deviates slightly from the topic of discussion. Does the Minister wish to answer?

I will do my best. The essential feature of learndirect is that its courses and support from tutors are available on the Internet, and the University for Industry encourages its centres to co-operate with community-based partners to provide outreach access points - for example, in workplaces and local community facilities. If that has not yet been done, Omagh could spread that out. However, I honestly do not know why learndirect has not reached Strabane. I will get back to the Member on that.

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13.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the cost of producing documents for consultation over the last three years, including preparation, printing, distribution and all ancillary costs.

(AQO 889/01)

Every effort is made to minimise printing and distribution costs through the production of consultation documents in-house and, where possible, through the use of e-mail. It is a matter of finding a balance between transparency and openness and not getting caught up in bureaucracy. The Member will be aware that my officials are working to provide details of costs where available, and I will write to him on that.

I thank the Minister for the promise of a comprehensive reply, and she is correct, I was already aware of that fact. Can the Minister also take into consideration the cost benefit analysis that was carried out on that expenditure? Does she further agree that the money could perhaps have been better spent on hip replacements, coronary care, day-care surgeries and so on?

As I have already said, it is a matter of finding a balance between transparency and openness and not getting caught up in bureaucracy.

15.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the main targets of the task force on employability and the long-term unemployed.

(AQO 896/01)

The task force targets are set out in its terms of reference. Those targets are: to research the factors affecting people out of work; to engage with others outside the Government; to make recommendations; and to prepare an action plan that integrates action across Departments and agencies. The first two stages have been completed, and we are now engaged in the final two stages - setting short-, medium- and long-term targets.

How will the Minister measure the success or otherwise of the task force?

We must set targets to create employment in deprived areas, to improve training and reskilling, to remove the obstacles to work and to give more support when people first enter employment.

16.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to give her assessment of training levels within the tourism industry; and to make a statement.

(AQO 869/01)

The Executive have recognised the potential contribution of tourism to the Northern Ireland economy. My Department has been working with the industry and, through the Tourism Training Trust, has helped to establish a training strategy for the sector. In addition to young people training for the industry through modern apprenticeships, Jobskills and further and higher education provision, several training initiatives have been put in place. The Northern Ireland skills task force has recently commissioned research to assess the demand and supply of skills for tourism.

Are there specific trainee programmes dealing with the broader spectrum of tourism, particularly tourist activity and the hospitality aspect of tourism? At this stage, does the Minister consider it necessary to undertake a review of training within that industrial sector? Furthermore, having completed that review, can she ensure that funding is made available to modernise the training courses and techniques?

The Northern Ireland Skills Task Force has commissioned research on skills and training specifically within the tourism and hospitality sector in Northern Ireland, and I expect to receive the report very soon. For that research to be meaningful, it must involve all aspects of tourism and the hospitality industry. Adequate funding is also essential if the review is to be meaningful.

17.

asked the Minister for Employment and Learning when the "One" service will be operational in Strabane and Omagh; and to make a statement.

(AQO 870/01)

The "One" service, which is a single work-focused gateway to a range of welfare benefits, is currently being piloted in the Dungannon area. The roll-out of the service to other parts of Northern Ireland is subject to a full evaluation of the pilot, which has been extended to March 2003.

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Aire as a freagra. Has there been any preliminary feedback, or have lessons been learnt, from the Dungannon experience?

Unfortunately, we are out of time. Perhaps the Minister would write to Mr McElduff with a response.

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Social Development

1.

asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the total number of rural cottages in Strabane and Omagh district council areas that have yet to be included in the programme for refurbishment or replacement.

(AQO 878/01)

There are 23 rural cottages in the Strabane District Council area and three cottages in the Omagh District Council area that have yet to be included in the programme for refurbishment or replacement.

It is refreshing to receive a straight answer, an answer which clearly demonstrates that something must be done about the balance between the two parts of west Tyrone.

The Minister will be aware of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive consultation document, 'Places for People - A Rural Housing Policy Review', the overall objective of which relates to the regional development strategy. A recent audit in the places for people review has identified the need for a clearer focus on rural new build. Will the Minister assure the Assembly that he will use his influence to ensure that planners, even though they may be located in another Department, are encouraged to be supportive of rural new build?

First, I thank the Member for his reference to straight answers. It helps if a precise question is put to which one can give a definite answer, and in turn I compliment him on his question.

Planning issues lie outside my remit. Although the Member makes a relevant and important point, it is not something over which I have any control. With regard to my Department addressing issues such as unfitness in rural areas, the Member will know that there are provisions in the housing Bill, which is due to come before the Assembly, to address some of those issues. I hope that they will go some way to alleviate the issue of unfitness not only in rural cottages but also in rural areas generally.

Who will carry out the refurbishment of rural cottages? Why have housing associations not undertaken this work in the past? How can the Northern Ireland Housing Executive continue to plan, design and complete such work when its new build capacity has been removed? I hope the Minister can be precise.

I certainly will be precise, because the answer is clear, and anyone who knows anything about housing would know the answer. The Housing Executive is involved in the design and planning of all new build programmes, and housing associations may carry out this work. The Housing Executive plays a central role in identifying needs throughout Northern Ireland, and in consultation with communities draws up new build schemes. There is nothing different about rural cottages. To be precise, the replacement cottages are being provided by housing associations. The schemes have been included in the social housing new build programme, and the timing will depend on how speedily the technical problems can be resolved.

Of the 50 cottages in the Omagh area, 18 have been replaced, nine have been improved, 20 have either been sold or tenants have refused the work and three remain to be assessed. In the Strabane area there are 212 cottages, of which 46 have been replaced, 12 have been improved, 22 are in the process of being replaced by housing associations, 20 are in the housing association new build programme, 89 have either been sold or tenants have refused the work and 23 remain to be assessed.

There is unfitness in the rural housing stock, particularly in West Tyrone, which is a real problem. Can the Minister indicate how he intends to tackle that problem, and can he comment on whether it can be eradicated?

As I said in answer to the earlier question, the housing Bill will include provisions that will go some way to addressing some of those issues. It will give the Housing Executive the power to use more discretion in relation to the private sector grants scheme, and that provision is aimed specifically at allowing it to target resources to areas such as the western part of the Province, where unfitness levels are highest, and to other rural parts of the Province. Members have frequently drawn my attention to that issue, and we will be addressing it in the housing Bill.

I have already mentioned that a programme of work is under way to tackle unfit cottages in rural areas and to replace them. We are trying to address rural unfitness, and the provisions in the housing Bill will be critical in that regard.

2.

asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of Housing Executive houses that were built in the Lisburn district in the years 1998-99; 1999-2000; and 2000-01.

(AQO 900/01)

The Housing Executive built 19 houses in the Lisburn district in 1998-99, two houses in 1999-2000 and two houses in 2000-01. As the Member will know, housing associations now provide all new build social housing in Northern Ireland, and, in the above periods, they provided 86 houses, 229 houses and 17 houses respectively.

Does the Minister recognise that the number of house sales is far exceeding the number of new houses that are becoming available at a public level? Consequently, will the Department for Social Development lobby the Department of the Environment in relation to the Belfast metropolitan area plan so that a portion of that land can be designated for public sector housing, given that the public sector obviously cannot compete with private developers in acquiring land, which is quickly running out.

I thank the Member for his supplementary question. It is a matter for the Planning Service, as the Member knows, to identify areas that are suitable for housing. The Housing Executive engages in discussions with the planning authorities and others about the appropriate housing mix for areas, and that will continue.

I note the Member's point about the Lisburn area. As far as my Department and the Housing Executive are concerned, we are trying to build sustainable communities, and that entails a mixed housing provision, involving private ownership, social housing and co-ownership. I am convinced that that approach will, in the long run, provide for stable communities. It is for the planners to identify suitable areas, but my Department and the Housing Executive will discuss the appropriate housing mix for Lisburn, and other areas, with them.

3.

asked the Minister for Social Development to outline his plans for solving the current housing shortage in Portstewart and Portrush.

(AQO 883/01)

In Portstewart 40 households are considered to be in housing stress. Acquisition of suitable sites for new social housing continues to be a problem. However, as an interim measure, housing associations have been asked to acquire existing properties to help reduce the waiting list. Four dwellings have already been purchased, and a further four are in the pipeline. In addition, housing associations are actively seeking sites for new housing. If those can be identified and acquired, there is provision in the housing programme to start 10 new dwellings in 2002-03 and a further 10 in 2003-04. My Department has earmarked the funding to undertake this much-needed work.

Thirty-nine households in Portrush are considered to be in housing stress. In 2002-03, Ark Housing Association plans to provide 15 properties for people with mental health problems. In addition, housing associations have been asked to identify sites for 10 dwellings for elderly people in 2003-04.

The Minister will be aware that there are enormous pressures on land in desirable areas such as seaside towns. Does the Minister agree that in these circumstances social housing is a particular problem given the enormous financial power of developers to acquire all available developing land for holiday homes? Does he agree that the time has come for special measures to ensure social housing is ring-fenced for people who cannot afford to buy into the private sector?

That is a well-made point. That is an issue in particular areas, such as the Portrush/ Portstewart area and other areas that are popular with tourists. It also applies to areas where land prices are expensive. The issue of second homes in the Portrush/Portstewart area adds to the difficulty. The need for new building is acknowledged, and the Member will agree with that. Housing associations are actively looking for suitable sites. Sites are expensive in that area, and that undoubtedly impacts on the ability of housing associations to produce viable projects at reasonable cost, and so on.

I will consider the matter. To some extent, we are at the mercy of market forces. Nevertheless, the issue identified by the Member - and raised by other Members on several occasions - is important, and we in the Department, in conjunction with the Executive and housing associations in particular, will be doing everything in our power to try to address that issue.

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4.

asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the timescale for the introduction of the housing Bill to the Assembly; and to make a statement.

(AQO 875/01)

Subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, I hope to publish the draft housing Bill for consultation in the near future, with a view to introducing the Bill in the Assembly in June 2002. That timetable will be subject to the outcome of the consultation process.

I am delighted to hear that yet again we have a timetable in the not too distant future for this hairy and old Bill. I hope that the Bill's gestation improves as we go along. Will the Minister give a preview of the matter and confirm whether the provisions of the proposed Bill will deal in general terms with the future of the Housing Executive as a meaningful Housing Executive? Secondly, will there be a provision in the legislation whereby the disabled facilities grant for children and other such groups would not be means-tested?

Clearly, it is our desire to ensure that the Bill is advanced at the earliest possible opportunity. The matter left the Department for Social Development some time ago. As I said, it is subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. There will then be a period of consultation, and the matter will be brought before the House.

As the Member has indicated, many of these issues have been around for years. I want to debunk the myth that many of the provisions in the housing Bill are landmark, far-reaching proposals. Some of them will make a significant difference to the quality of housing in Northern Ireland, particularly with regard to antisocial measures, grants issues and others. Some of these issues date back as far as 1995-96. It is now time that we made progress and got some of these provisions onto the statute book.

The Member raised the issue of the disabled facilities grant. That is currently under consideration and discussion, and a review is under way. I dealt with it on my last appearance at Question Time. We have not yet concluded our consideration of that matter, but it is something that we are looking at. There would be costs attached to any of the changes that the Member wants, and we would have to look at that and bring it before the Assembly. I will write to the Member about the other matter.

The Minister is right when he says that the housing Bill will contain many provisions that will be of great benefit to people in their everyday lives, including the legislation on antisocial behaviour, et cetera.

Given the delays in bringing the Bill to the House - and he might want to comment on why there have been delays - will the Minister assure us that it will be on the statute book before the end of this Assembly session?

It is impossible to give guarantees on anything in life, particularly when it comes to the Assembly. However, if we proceed to consultation in the near future, I have no doubt that we will be able to get this legislation on to the statute book well before the deadline for next year's Assembly elections. However, if there is further slippage and the Bill does not come out of OFMDFM, where it has been for some time, in the near future, and if it does not proceed through the consultation process, then we are going to run into difficulties. People who are concerned about some of the issues to be addressed in the Bill will not understand why there is further delay and slippage on issues that have been around for a long time, particularly in the light of recent comments about the paucity of legislation coming through the Assembly.

Here is a piece of legislation that can make a real difference to people's lives. The public will broadly welcome it. It has been given a strong welcome by the Committee for Social Development. Let us now proceed to get it out to consultation and on to the floor of the House. Let us have the debate and get some of those provisions into legislation as soon as possible.

The Minister has touched briefly on my question. Does he agree that the Committee for Social Development has long taken an interest in the progress of this important piece of legislation, and that it has been instrumental in ensuring that the legislative proposals will be subject to proper public consultation? Does he agree that it will be important to pay particular attention to what the Committee has to say about the provisions that should be in the Bill?

The Committee has had, and will continue to have, a very legitimate role in the consultation process on the Bill. Mr Hamilton is aware that the Committee recently brought forward a report that was debated in the House and was broadly in line with the provisions in the Bill.

There is sometimes a tendency when a Bill comes forward to look, not so much at what is in it, but at what else could be in it. That is quite legitimate. However, given the length of time that we have to get this Bill - and the provisions that have been around for so long - on to the statute book, it may be wiser to concentrate on getting that done. New measures should be a task for another day. I fear that if we get into a long, protracted rehearsal of all the other things that could be thrown in, it might well be that we will run out of time and not get anything done.

I am not saying that we cannot look at any other measures. The Committee has an important role to play, and I am determined that it will be given that role. It already has that role under the procedures of the Assembly.

6.

asked the Minister for Social Development what funding is to be made available to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for its proposed multi-element improvement scheme for 47 dwellings in Rathfriland.

(AQO 871/01)

The Housing Executive proposes to carry out multi-element improvements to 47 dwellings in Rathfriland at an estimated cost of more than £1 million. That scheme is programmed to start on site in the 2003-04 financial year, subject to the availability of finance at that time.

I note the Minister's comment that development will not occur until 2003-04. For those who live in inferior accommodation, a year, two years or three winters is a long time away. Is there a remote chance that the Rathfriland development could be brought forward by any means?

The Member will know that the Housing Executive, as in other areas, has a planned programme of work that depends on its assessment of need. At present, the Housing Executive does not envisage that the Rathfriland scheme can be started earlier than planned. The Member asks whether there is any possibility that the scheme can be brought forward. If the Assembly were to make additional funding available to my Department, all sorts of things would be possible. I have repeatedly stressed my commitment to securing sufficient funding for housing in Northern Ireland. I know that many Members share that commitment, and I shall continue to work on that front. I shall be glad of the support of every Member of the House as we seek to come by the additional finance that would allow the measure that the Member has rightly raised, as well as other programmes, to proceed more rapidly.

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7.

asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the cost of producing documents for consultation in the past three years, including preparation, printing, distribution and all ancillary costs.

(AQO 881/01)

No costs were incurred in 1999-2000. In 2000-01, the cost was £7,753. To date, the cost for this year has been £20,992. Those figures do not include time spent by staff in producing the documents, as separate records for such costs are not maintained.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Was a cost benefit analysis done before those sums of money were spent? Does the Minister not agree that those sums could have contributed to hip replacements, coronary care or day care surgery, and as such, would have been better spent?

I recognise that question, as I was present for the earlier set of questions. The Member has evidently decided that he will not spend too much time thinking up new or tricky questions. As a Minister, one issue about which I hear all the time is the need for consultation. Members of the House, its Committees and other people continually ask me whether there has been consultation. If I were to turn round to Members and communities, especially on matters of housing, social welfare, community and voluntary development, and social legislation, and tell them that the Member for Lagan Valley believes that £7,000 or £20,000 is too much to spend on documentation to allow for proper and informed consultation, they would not be very happy. That expenditure represents reasonable value for money. We all share the Member's concerns. If he is keen to pursue the issue of money being better spent, I suggest that he consider, as a means of finding extra money, the amount of money that the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety spends on the translation of documents into Irish.

It's in Chinese and Taiwanese.

If the Member looks at the cost of each of the questions that he has tabled on the matter, he would have had at least another £520, perhaps, to spend on hip replacements, rather than being here today.

The Minister would be more than alarmed to learn that the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety spent £110,000 last year on the translation of her documents into the Irish language.

That money would have improved the community's well-being significantly. Will views that are submitted as a result of the consultation be acted upon? That would prove the value for money of such consultation.

The expenditure incurred by the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is a matter for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Members will raise the issue of wastage, as they have in the past. Consultation is important, and the Department for Social Development does not pay lip service to it. We take people's views into consideration. The areas for which the Department for Social Development has responsibility depend on close consultation with client groups, customers and communities.

The views of the voluntary and community sectors greatly influenced the compact between Government and the voluntary and community sectors; that was a jointly prepared document. Anyone who reads that document will see the degree of consultation and the degree to which the views that were expressed in the consultation were taken on board by the Department. It produced remarkable consensus. There are other areas that I could mention. Consultation is important, and the costs that I have outlined are by no means exorbitant.

8.

asked the Minister for Social Development what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations contained in the recent report by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation into lifetime homes design.

(AQO 873/01)

I attended the launch of the report into lifetime homes, and I welcomed its publication. In 1997, the then Department of the Environment adopted lifetime homes principles for the social housing programme in Northern Ireland. In 1998, the housing association grant payable to registered housing associations for social housing schemes was adjusted to provide additional funding to support this standard by way of a special lifetime homes multiplier. In April 2001, the Department for Social Development made it a requirement for housing associations to build all new general needs housing to lifetime homes standards, and additional funding was made available to facilitate the policy change.

Uniquely in the United Kingdom, the Department for Social Development continues to give financial support to provide lifetime homes in this sector. The Department will need time to study the report's recommendation for the establishment of a Northern Ireland building standards and design forum. Although there are obvious advantages in bringing together key groups such as the Chartered Institute of Housing and the housing associations, it is important not to duplicate areas that are already covered by existing arrangements. The report's recommendation that building regulations should be raised to apply lifetime homes to private sector housing is a matter for the Department of Finance and Personnel. The Member may wish to raise that directly with the Minister.

What is the additional cost of providing a house to lifetime homes standard?

The costs associated with providing a house to lifetime homes standards is an issue for builders and contractors. However, implementing it would be a saving to the public purse for many years. The additional cost depends on the size, layout, design and specification of the home. The report on lifetime homes estimates the additional cost to be between £165 and £545. However, the overall costs may be higher. The Department estimates that it will cost approximately 1% of total acquisition works and associated costs. Nevertheless, over the lifetime of a house the savings for the public purse are likely to be considerable.

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