HC Deb 14 January 1987 vol 108 c247
3. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in Scotland in each year since 1983.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Michael Ancram)

In 1983, 17,800 houses were sold to sitting tenants, including tenants of the new towns and the Scottish Special Housing Association. In 1984 the number was 16,000; and in 1985, 14,800. A final figure for 1986 is not yet available.

Mr. Knox

Can my hon. Friend tell us whether the number of applications to buy council houses in Scotland is on an upward or downward trend?

Mr. Ancram

In the second quarter of 1986 the number of applications was running at about 2,000 each month, which was very encouraging. That is about 20 per cent. up on the same quarter in 1985 and is only slightly lower than the peak levels in 1983. We believe that that shows the healthy continuing impact of the right-to-buy policy in Scotland.

Mr. Henderson

Does the north-east Fife district still hold the record for being the Scottish district council which has enabled the greatest number of its tenants to buy their own homes? If so, does that mean that more funds are available to meet today's housing needs for those who wish to remain tenants?

Mr. Ancram

I cannot say whether that district council still holds the record, but it certainly has a very high, successful rate of council house sales. It is a lesson to other councils that the resources released by the sale of council houses can be used to deal with the serious structural problems that exist in the rest of Scotland's public housing stock.