This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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£5 million boosts central heating initiative for thousands of Scots
30/07/2001
A total of £5 million for the Scottish Executive's central heating programme will guarantee the immediate start of central heating installation for tenants in Glasgow and Orkney.
Last September, the Scottish Executive announced a scheme to install free central heating for all pensioners and all social tenants across Scotland in the next 5 years.
Minister for Social Justice, Jackie Baillie has today announced that £5 million will be spent on the council areas which are currently looking at transfer of housing stock to community ownership.
Under the previous arrangement the cost of central heating installation was to be made by the new not-for-profit landlord. The funding from the Executive now means that there will be no delay in tenants getting central heating fitted.
Ms Baillie said:
"Tenants in areas considering transferring their homes to community ownership will no longer have to wait to have central heating fitted.
"Our central heating and insulation programme is expected to cut tenants fuel bills by a third, so it will be cheaper for families to heat their homes properly.
"This funding will ensure that people living in cold damp homes is a thing of the past."
An estimated 12,000 households in Glasgow currently have no central heating and will benefit from the scheme. Over 30 per cent of tenants are older people.
In Orkney 126 council homes are currently without central heating.
BACKGROUND
1. Four local authorities in Scotland are progressing proposals which may lead to ballots for the possible transfer to community ownership of all of their housing stock. These four councils are: Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow City, Scottish Borders and Shetland Islands. The ballots are expected to take place between around November 2001.
2. All council tenants in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders have central heating.
3. The Scottish Executive believes that community ownership is a new and better way of delivering housing because it:
a) levers in new private sector money to modernise existing homes and build new ones. Landlords will be not-for-profit.
b) puts tenants in charge from day one. Tenants will make decisions about their own homes.
c) offers an effective targeting of public money where it is needed most, by tackling outstanding housing debt.
News Release: SE1788/2001
30 Jul 2001