HC Deb 30 April 1996 vol 276 cc886-7
2. Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the take-up of the rents-to-mortgages scheme in 1996. [25672]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. James Clappison)

My Department has made no estimate of future sales.

Mr. Pike

Does the Minister agree that the scheme has been another sunken disaster flagship policy for the Tory party—a waste of money and a waste of time? Would it not be more sensible, if the Government are really concerned about housing, to do something to help people with mortgage difficulties, perhaps by considering a mortgages-to-rents policy instead of a rents-to-mortgages policy?

Mr. Clappison

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman thinks that an effort to help people into home ownership is a waste of time. He will be aware that it is one of a range of policies through which we have promoted home ownership since 1979. Due to that range of policies, more than 1.5 million people are home owners, including 2, 000 former council tenants in his constituency. I make no apologies for promoting home ownership. Tens of thousands of people are going into home ownership through such schemes every year. One of the interesting things about the scheme is that it is an attempt to help those on lower incomes into home ownership. The hon. Gentleman's party is turning its back on those people, just as it is turning its back on those who want opportunities in education by threatening to abolish child benefit for 16 to 18-year-olds. Labour is turning its back on home ownership and education.

Mr. John Marshall

Does my hon. Friend agree that that attack on the rents-to-mortgages scheme and Labour's votes yesterday to restrict the right to buy show that new Labour has the same stupid prejudices as old Labour?

Mr. Clappison

The same instincts are there. Labour has criticised every attempt to help people into home ownership and it is still doing so.

Mr. Raynsford

Will the Minister now admit that, despite 13 clauses in legislation, huge publicity efforts and £140,000-worth of promotional expenditure, the Government have managed to persuade just 15 people in the country to take up the scheme? Does the Under-Secretary of State recall his colleague, the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration, saying in Committee of another Tory white elephant—the infamous tenants' choice scheme— it is daft to leave in the Bill something that does not work and is therefore redundant, so we will get shot of it."—[Official Report, Standing Committee G, 2 April 1996; c. 1037.] When will the Government get shot of the absurd rents-to-mortgages scheme and, more to the point, when will the country get shot of this absurd Government?

Mr. Clappison

The import of what the hon. Gentleman is saying is that it is wrong for Governments to explore opportunities for helping people into home ownership. The success of our policy is reflected in the more than 1.5 million people who have gone into home ownership since 1979. I am surprised that Labour's spokesman on housing is adopting the criticisms of the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike). He should be aware that, in his constituency, more than 7, 000 householders have been helped into home ownership since 1979. We make no apologies for trying to help people into home ownership.