HC Deb 25 May 1973 vol 857 cc188-9W
Sir E. Minus

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures in his possession relating to the sale of council houses to sitting tenants; and if he will send a circular to local authorities reminding them of his policy that more tenants should be given the opportunity to buy their own homes.

Mr. Channon

In 1972, 45.000 council dwellings were sold in England and Wales by 621 local authorites, compared with 6,000 by 244 authorities in 1970. Local authorities reported 13,900 sales in the first quarter of 1973. The importance which the Government attach to this means of extending home ownership was again stressed in paragraph 21 of the recent White Paper "Widening the Choice: The Next Steps in Housing" (Cmnd. 5280).