Housing Act 1985

245 Contributions by Secretary of State.

(1) The Secretary of State may pay contributions to a local housing authority towards such expenditure incurred by them under section 244 (environmental works) as he may determine.

(2) The contributions shall be annual sums—

(a) payable in respect of a period of 20 years beginning with the financial year in which the expenditure towards which the contribution is made is incurred, and

(b) equal to one-half of the annual loan charges referable to that expenditure, that is to say, the annual sum that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, would fall to be paid by the local housing authority for the repayment of principal and the payment of interest on a loan of an amount equal to the expenditure repayable over that period.

(3) The aggregate of the expenditure towards which such contributions may be made with respect to a housing action area shall not exceed the sum arrived at by multiplying—

(a) £400, by

(b) the number of dwellings, houses in multiple occupation and hostels stated by the local housing authority under section 240(4)(b) to be in the area ;

but two adjoining housing action areas may for this purpose be treated as one.

(4) The Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury—

(a) by order substitute in subsections (2) and (3) another fraction for one-half and another amount for £400

(b) direct that those subsections shall have effect, in the case of a housing action area specified in the direction or of a description so specified, with the substitution of a higher fraction or a greater amount than that for the time being specified in the subsection.

(5) An order under subsection (4)(a)—

(a) may make different provision with respect to different cases or descriptions of case, including different provision for different areas, and

(b) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Commons.