§ Q7. Mr. Channonasked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister to deal specifically with local authority accommodation.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. ChannonDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that that reply is extremely disappointing, particularly in view of the fact that the recent council elections showed an overwhelming mandate in favour of a policy of selling council houses?
§ The Prime MinisterAlthough I missed the first few words of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, I got the concluding phrase, which refers to the Government's policy on the sale of council 740 houses. An additional Minister is not needed to deal with this matter. My right hon. Friend has made it clear that if in any area the demand for rented housing is levelling off, there may be no objection to selling council houses; but the overriding need in very many areas is for houses to let at moderate rents.
§ Mr. Christopher PriceIs my right hon. Friend aware that the effect, after five years, of selling council houses in an area like Birmingham, where there is a very great shortage of housing, is that that number of houses has been completely lost for ever to the Corporation and, to that extent, has prevented many people who need accommodation of this type from getting it?
§ The Prime MinisterAny hon. Member who represents an area where there is and has been for many years an acute housing shortage or an acute slum problem, or both, recognises the need for maintaining a local authority pool of houses to let at reasonable rents and recognises this to be of paramount importance in solving the housing problems of those areas.
§ Mr. HeathIs it not true that the great majority of tenants of local authority houses live for the rest of their lives in those houses and that often their descendants live in the same houses afterwards? This being the case, if these people want to have the right to buy those houses, should not they be allowed to do so? Will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that the Government will not impose any further restrictions on the purchase of council houses?
§ The Prime MinisterI am certainly not giving such an assurance. I have laid down—I have repeated what has been the policy enunciated in this House by my right hon. Friends on this very important question. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, council tenants who can afford to buy their own houses can buy privately, and they will be helped by the option mortgage scheme. And when they do buy, their council houses will become available for reletting to families in need. As I explained in answer to an earlier supplementary question, in areas where need is much less acute, there may be no objection, in (appropriate cases, to selling council houses.
§ Mr. RoebuckIs my right hon. Friend aware that there are 152,000 families on council waiting lists in the Greater London Area? Would not he agree that it would be absolutely scandalous if any existing stocks of houses in Greater London were sold? Will he therefore watch this situation very carefully?
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to what I have already said about the general principle involved here, it will, of course, be for my right hon. Friend to watch this situation. The original Question I was asked was about the appointment of an additional Minister to deal with local authority accommodation.
§ Mr. HeathIn a situation in which so many local authorities have been elected on a firm policy of selling council houses—[HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."]—is it not disgraceful if the Government now prevent those local authorities from doing so?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not responsible for the promises made by Conservatives who have got themselves elected in recent local elections. I know the basis of the policy which this Government put forward on this matter at the last General Election.