§ 10. Mr. Ancramasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inquiries from council tenants have been received by his Department about the purchase of council houses under the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980.
§ Mr. RifkindAt the end of last week there had been more than 3,000 inquiries direct from tenants to the Scottish Office. In addition, my Department has received requests for a further 35,000 information leaflets for issue to tenants by local authorities and other bodies, despite the fact that 162,500 leaflets were distributed to all housing authorities only eight weeks ago.
§ Mr. AncramDoes not my hon. Friend agree that the figures show a genuine demand from council tenants for the right to own their houses? Does he not agree also that the insidious attempts being made by certain Labour councils to prevent them from doing so resemble nothing so much as the last desperate attempt of ancient feudal landlords to keep control over their vassals?
§ Mr. RifkindI listen to what my hon. Friend says on these subjects with careful thought. Let me make it clear, however, that the vast majority of Labour authorities should be congratulated on implementing their statutory obligations under the Act, because they are responding to the wishes of their tenants. Unfortunately, a tiny fraction are still trying to prevent these rights from being exercised, but I have not the slightest doubt that their attempts will come to a miserable end in the very near future.
§ Mr. DewarDoes the Minister accept that it would be better if the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Ancram) were to stick to such subjects as feudal oppression, about which he knows, and not pontificate on public opinion in Scotland? Does the Minister really believe that there is widespread support for the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act among council house tenants in Scotland? If he suffers that delusion, will he accept an invitation to come to a meeting of residents' associations in the Drumchapel housing scheme, which I think I could arrange, where he will discover what people who live in council houses think of this mean and petty legislation?
§ Mr. RifkindIf the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) does not believe that tenants want to buy, he should not object to giving them the right to do so, because if he is right they will not exercise it. It is evident already that the Government's forecast of response among council tenants will be about 50 per cent. of the actual sales in the first year.
§ Mr. Peter FraserDoes my hon. Friend recognise that the figures that his Department is collecting of inquiries about sales of council houses must remain distorted while one of the four major cities in Scotland refuses to give council tenants the right to buy, which this House has given them? When distributing leaflets and information about Dundee district council, will my hon. Friend tell the tenants that they have a statutory right and that the refusal by their district council to grant that right will eventually cost them and the ratepayers a considerable sum of money?
§ Mr. RifkindMy hon. Friend is correct. In the meantime, there is nothing to stop individual tenants in Dundee from sending in their applications by recorded delivery. If Dundee district council refuses to process them, apart from any action that my right hon. Friend might have to take if the council publicly defies an Act of Parliament, there is nothing to stop tenants from having their applications processed through the Lands Tribunals.
§ Mr. George RobertsonSince the Government continue to provide us with the figures relating to council house sales inquiries, will they consider spending some of their propaganda budget on telling council house tenants about the other side of the coin, namely, the additional cost that will be attracted to the council house buyer in mortgages, repairs and insurance? Will he also tell them about the difficulties of resale? If both sides of the coin are balanced, will not the Minister have a fairer indication of the enthusiasm with which his policy is being greeted by the people of Scotland?
§ Mr. RifkindI notice that those factors have not prevented the vast majority of Labour Members from seeking to become home owners. I do not see why council tenants should respond differently.
§ 11. Mr. Allan Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the sale of council houses to sitting tenants under the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act.
§ Mr. RifkindIn almost all areas applications under the right-to-buy provisions of the Act are, as far as I am aware, being progressed expeditiously, A significant number of sales are already taking place under the voluntary sales provisions of the Act, as a result of applications lodged before the Act came into effect, and I hope that sales at present being processed will begin to be completed early in the New Year.
§ Mr. StewartI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that information. Is he aware of the forecast that members of the Tribune group will shortly take over the Scottish Opposition Front Bench? If and when that happy event occurs, does my hon. Friend believe that he will be successful in provoking the new Scottish Opposition Front Bench into saying precisely how many Scottish families will be deprived of the right to buy their homes under a future Labour Government?
§ Mr. RifkindThe more that the Opposition promote that policy, the further away is the date that on which a Labour Government will take over. In any event, the vast majority of members of the Tribune group are home owners. I am sure that they will do nothing to prevent council house tenants from claiming their rights.
§ Mr. John Home RobertsonThe Minister seems to be more successful as a cut-price estate agent than as a Minister. Does the leaflet distributed by the Scottish Office on the sale of council houses explain that which is explained in the leaflet issued by East Lothian district council, namely, that people who purchase their council houses will be worse off?
§ Mr. RifkindThe hon. Gentleman should be the last person to oppose home ownership. However, since he has raised the question I shall take the opportunity to point out that the leaflet published and distributed by the East Lothian district council contains a large number of utterly misleading, incorrect and false suggestions about the meaning of the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act and its implications for tenants who purchase their homes. I am delighted that that publication seems to have had no effect whatsoever on the anxiety of tenants in East Lothian to purchase their homes.
§ Mr. McQuarrieIs my hon Friend aware that certain local authorities in Scotland are deliberately delaying the processing of council house sales in order to collect additional rent? Will that additional rent be repaid to the purchaser when the transaction is completed?
§ Mr. RifkindI am not aware of processing being delayed for that reason. Specific time scales are laid down under the Act to ensure that there is no excessive delay by any local authority in processing applications.
§ Mr. MillanDoes the Minister agree that if a local authority is publishing misleading information it can come nowhere near the deliberate cheating by the Government on the question of elderly persons' housing?
§ Mr. RifkindWe debated these matters on a previous occasion. With the record of his Administration behind him, the right hon. Gentleman should be wary of accusing anybody of misrepresenting any facts or figures.