HC Deb 24 February 1988 vol 128 cc290-1
8. Mr. Forth

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the numbers of applications to buy public sector housing during 1987; and if he will make a statement.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton)

Returns made to my Department show that about 39,000 applications to purchase public sector houses were made during 1987. This continuing high level of applications is making a major and welcome contribution to diversifying ownership of housing in Scotland.

Mr. Forth

I thank my hon. Friend and welcome those figures. Will he tell the House what is the rate of owner-occupation in Scotland? Is he satisfied with the rate of progress being made in that direction, and does he think that the excessively low level of council house rents in Scotland is perhaps a disincentive to people to consider buying their council houses?

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Council house rents have risen considerably, although they are still much lower than those in England. Sales have been running at an extremely high level. Now, 10.3 per cent. of public sector house stock has been sold since 1979 and about 107,000 public sector tenants have purchased their homes. We have now reached the stage where fewer than half of all homes in Scotland a re rented from the public sector. We can justly call that a Scottish success story.

Mr. Graham

Why do the Government have double standards? Is the Minister aware that a Ministry of Defence worker in my constituency who applied to purchase his house was denied the 49 per cent. discount that he would have received on a council house, and received a discount of only 30 per cent.?

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

There are certain exclusions. This is a matter primarily for the Ministry of Defence. The same also applies to certain police houses. There are exemptions on certain grounds, but, overall, we are very much in favour of the right to buy and we wish to extend it wherever possible.

Mr. Bill Walker

Does my hon. Friend agree that the figures that he has given on the sale of council houses last year and before show clearly that the Opposition, who fought the 1980 Bill tooth and nail, do not care, in the same way as they do not care about patient care? Does my hon. Friend further agree that our policies will continue to produce the results?

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

It will always be remembered that the Bill that we introduced was called the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Bill. That was to the credit of my right hon. and learned Friend the present Secretary of State.