The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 is an Act of Parliament

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Its long title

Long title

The long title is the formal title appearing at the head of a statute or other legislative instrument...

 shows that it is a piece of omnibus legislation:

An Act to make provision for grants and other assistance for housing purposes and about action in relation to unfit housing; to amend the law relating to construction contracts and architects; to provide grants and other assistance for regeneration and development and in connection with clearance areas; to amend the provisions relating to home energy efficiency schemes; to make provision in connection with the dissolution of urban corporations, housing action trusts and the Commission for New Towns; and for connected purposes.

Part III of the Act relating to architects' registration

Architects Registration in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the Architects Act 1997 imposes restrictions on the use of the name, style or title "architect" in connection with a business or a professional practice, and for that purpose requires a statutory Register of Architects to be maintained...

has been repealed and reenacted as the Architects Act 1997, under the Parliamentary rules for consolidating Acts.

Disabled Facilities Grants

The act provides legislation for the provision of grant aided adaptation's for disabled persons within the UK. This is covered in part 1 Chapter 1. The aim of this part of the act is to allow for provision of adaptation's to peoples homes to reduce both the need for people to relocate to facilities which provide full time care and to reduce the amount of care needed in peoples homes. For example one way this is provided for is in the provision of stairlifts allowing people to continue use of bathroom facilities in the upstairs of there homes. Local authorities may carry out the work either through provision of money to the applicant or through an agency service. Where an agency service is offered grant applicants are not obliged to take this up in order to receive a grant.In order for adaptation's to be provided an occupational therapist is usually required to carry out an assessment of the needs of the applicant.

A grant can be used for adaptations to give better freedom of movement into and around the home and/or to provide essential facilities within it. Examples of the work that can be covered by this assistance:

• widening doors and installing ramps
• providing or improving access to rooms and facilities - for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a downstairs bathroom
• bathroom conversion e.g. providing level access shower, accessible WC and wash hand basin
• improving or providing a heating system which is suitable for your needs
• improving access to and movement around the home to enable you to care for another person who lives in the property, such as a child
• alterations to door widths & ramps
• specialist equipment i.e. baths/ kitchens

The maximum mandatory values of works is £30,000 in England however the local authority can use discretionary powers released through a later RRO to increase the value of works.