HC Deb 28 June 1972 vol 839 cc1438-9
40. Mr. James Hill

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what time period he is allowing for local authorities to respond to Circular 54/70 and the further circular dated 13th June, 1972, relating to the sale of council houses.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Reginald Eyre)

Circular 56/72and the addendum issued on 26th June have re-emphasised the importance which my right hon. Friend attaches to this matter. The response of local authorities will be seen in the number of houses they sell, and we expect the 1972 total to exceed the record number sold in 1971.

Mr. Hill

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but he has not answered the Question, which concerned the time period he is allowing local authorities. I represent an enlightened council, which is readily selling council houses. Will my hon. Friend force councils which are not selling, which are not giving the opportunity to council tenants to buy their own houses, to do so? After all, that was part of our manifesto.

Mr. Eyre

We shall have to allow a reasonable time for local authorities to study the Circular, to take note of my right hon. Friend's views and to develop their policies.

Mr. R. C. Mitchell

If the hon. Gentleman is at any time sending out a Circular further to those referred to, will he include a passage urging councils such as Southampton, where the waiting list for council houses is growing every year, to get on and build a few council houses?

Mr. Eyre

The Government's policy is to encourage local authorities to build houses to rent in cases of need. They will be assisted in that under the reforms in the Housing Finance Bill.

Mr. Elystan Morgan

Will the hon. Gentleman undertake that before taking any action on the circular he will make a detailed survey of the numbers of applicants for council houses and their conditions? Does not he agree that it is wholly unrealistic to come to any judgment of the situation before examining the condition of scores of thousands of our fellow countrymen who are in dire need of public sector housing?

Mr. Eyre

The hon. Gentleman should remember that it is the duty of local authorities to consider their local circumstances. Councils can and should both meet the wishes of their tenants who want to buy and meet the requirements of those who need houses to rent.

Mr. Frank Allaun

Instead of compulsory sales, would not it be better if the Government dropped their rent increase proposals, which are what make such sales of any interest? Is it not a fact that this is a gimmick, because until last year when the rent increase proposals were announced, sales were only 6,000 a year out of nearly 6 million council houses? They rose to 20,000 only when the White Paper on higher rents was published?

Mr. Eyre

I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's remarks, because the reforms under the Housing Finance Bill will enable local authorities, especially in those areas where there is real housing need, to deal much more effectively with those problems. Furthermore, the hon. Gentleman underrates the genuine upsurge in feeling about home ownership. That is why people want to buy their own homes.