HC Deb 27 October 1971 vol 823 cc1709-11
11. Mr. Tebbit

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of the White Paper, Cmnd. 4728, "Fair Deal for Housing", he will further consider methods of inducing local authorities to allow their tenants to purchase their homes.

20. Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps to encourage the sale of council houses he proposes to take.

Mr. Amery

I am keeping our policy and powers under review in the light of the refusal of certain local authorities to meet the rightful desires of some of their tenants.

Mr. Tebbit

I thank my right hon. Friend for that Answer. Would he agree that no council should gratuitously or arbitrarily refuse the desire of a tenant to purchase his own home and that the onus should be based upon the authority in each case to establish a public interest which over-rides the tenant's interest in purchasing his home?

Mr. Amery

I very much agree with my hon. Friend—and the majority of electors at the next local elections throughout the country may endorse my hon. Friend's opinion.

Mr. William Price

Is the Minister aware that when council house tenants finally realise what this Administration are doing to them his right hon. Friend will be the most detested member of it? In view of the competition, that will be some achievement. Can the Minister say what it is that right hon. Gentlemen opposite have against those who live in local authority dwellings?

Mr. Amery

We have nothing against people who live in local authority housing. On the contrary, like hon. Members in all parts of the House we recognise them as our fellow subjects and fellow citizens, for whom we all have to put our best foot forward. As for those who will be the most detested people, high on the list will be local authorities who refuse to sell to council tenants.

Mr. Finsberg

Can my right hon. Friend give any comfort to two of my constituents who have had offers of property by the Camden Borough Council which that council, following a change of control, has refused to honour? Will he indicate whether he would be favourably disposed towards a suitable amendment to the Bill which will be introduced shortly?

Mr. Amery

I would be very reluctant to legislate in a matter of this kind or to interfere with the exercise of the powers of local authorities. If contracts have been entered into or have been begun and the local authority has gone back on them, that is a breach of faith, and a breach of faith is something that the Government cannot look upon lightly.

Mr. Frank Allaun

Since, under this Government, most rents will be driven so high that many tenants will be forced to buy houses which they cannot properly afford, will not this increase the demand for new houses and, therefore, force the purchase price of new houses to rise even faster than it is rising today?

Mr. Amery

No. The building industry has the capacity to meet the demand that is growing, quite irrespective of the "Fair Deal for Housing" proposals. There is a growing demand on the part of the public to own their own homes.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Is not the sort of case referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg) in respect of Camden being repeated by a number of local authorities where control changed last May? As my right hon. Friend says that a breach of faith is involved, will he take steps to ensure that local authorities at least honour the obligations undertaken by their predecessors?

Mr. Amery

I will certainly use all the influence at my command to do so. I am still reluctant to legislate. I hope that it will be possible for persuasion to lead to the right result.

Mr. Silverman

Will the Minister bear in mind that the sale of council houses diminishes the stock of rented houses, and that in areas of stress this is definitely a disservice to the applicants on the register? Will he also bear in mind that the houses that are being sold are largely pre-war and early post-war houses—houses of low cost, which are specially needed to rehouse certain tenants in the lower-income groups?

Mr. Amery

The hon. Gentleman misunderstands the situation. If a tenant is not allowed to buy his house, the presumption is that he will remain as a tenant. That does not mean a diminution of the housing stock available for rent. If the tenant remains a tenant or becomes an owner-occupier he continues to live in the same house.

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