(1)The Secretary of State may with the consent of the Treasury make grants or loans towards the cost of arrangements for enabling or assisting persons to move and become,—
(a)in England and Wales, tenants or licensees of dwellings; and
(b)in Scotland, tenants of houses.
(2)The grants or loans may be made subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may determine and may be made so as to be repayable or, as the case may be, repayable earlier if there is a breach of such a condition.
(3)In this section—
“dwelling” means a building or a part of a building occupied or intended to be occupied as a separate dwelling;
“house” has the same meaning as in the M1Housing (Scotland) Act 1987; and
“tenant” does not include a tenant under a long lease within the meaning of the M2Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 or, as respects Scotland, under a lease for a period exceeding 20 years.
(4)Section 107 of the M3Housing Act 1985 and section 80 ofthe Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (which make provision similar to that made by the preceding provisions of this section, but limited to secure tenants) shall cease to have effect.