§ 1. Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage more local authorities to transfer their housing stock to alternative landlords.[4875]
§ The Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. John Gummer)To facilitate the transfer of council estates in poor condition, I announced on 28 November a new deprived estates challenge fund worth more than £300 million over the next three years.
§ Mr. WatersonDoes my right hon. Friend agree that large-scale voluntary transfers of housing stock have several benefits, including the diversification of housing stock, better management and faster repairs for tenants while providing capital receipts for local authorities which can be put back into social housing, used to pay off debts or used to reduce the council tax burden on council tax payers?
§ Mr. GummerI agree with my hon. Friend, and I am pleased to see that authorities such as Manchester are now seeking to use LSVT to ensure that they can tap the capital that is tied up in housing estates and use it for the benefit of tenants.