§ 10. Mr. Durantasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new town houses and flats have been sold or are currently in the course of sale; and what percentage of total stock this represents.
§ Mr. HeseltineSince May last year 2,680 new town corporation dwellings have been sold. Negotiations are in hand on 5,270. These represent 9 per cent. of total new town tenancies. With permission, I will circulate the figures for individual towns in the Official Report.
§ Mr. DurantDoes my right hon. Friend agree that that demonstrates the outstanding popularity of the Government's policy in selling public housing? Will he do everything in his power to ensure that those who wish to buy are not held up by bureaucracy and Socialist dogma?
§ Mr. HeseltineI agree that the fact that nearly 10 per cent. of all new town houses have been sold in a year proves beyond question the large demand that exists for ownership in those areas. Those living in parts of the country under Labour control will have to wait for the enactment of the legislation now before the House which will give other council tenants the right to buy. I assure my hon. Friend that there will be no bureaucratic delay in my Department in implementing the right-to-buy sales in new towns.
§ Following is the information: 1407
SALES OF NEW TOWN HOUSES: POSITION AT 31 MAY 1980 | |||
Town | Number of inquiries | Number of inquiries resulting in firm negotiations | Number of sales completed with effect from 18 May 1979 |
Basildon | 6,030 | 1,800 | 1,252 |
CLNT | 338 | 75 | 32 |
Milton Keynes | 2,346 | 250 | 136 |
Northampton | 1,086 | 429 | 231 |
Peterborough | 2,013 | 146 | 498 |
Redditch | 2,269 | 301 | 88 |
Runcorn | 2,112 | 413 | 10 |
Skelmersdale | 1,163 | 344 | 225 |
Telford | 2,527 | 1,218 | 87 |
Warrington | 1,305 | 68 | 44 |
Washington | 1,240 | 226 | 77 |
TOTAL | 22,429 | 5,270 | 2,680 |
Proportion of tenancies where there have been | ||
Inquiries Per cent. | Negotiations or sales Per cent. | |
Basildon | 35 | 18 |
CLNT | 13 | 5 |
Milton Keynes | 22 | 4 |
Northampton | 19 | 12 |
Peterborough | 30 | 10 |
Redditch | 34 | 6 |
Runcorn | 22 | 4 |
Skelmersdale | 15 | 7 |
Telford | 26 | 13 |
Warrington | 46 | 4 |
Washington | 17 | 4 |
AVERAGE | 25 | 9 |