§ Mr. Englishasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that many local authorities prohibit entry to their housing waiting lists, thus falsifying them; and whether, in the light of Part V of his White Paper, Command Paper No. 5280, he proposes to forbid this practice and require private landlords to inform him of applications for tenancies they receive, so that he knows the true demand for rented accommodation.
§ Mr. ChannonPart V of the White Paper makes clear the Government's view that local authorities should take a broad view of their statutory housing functions, which include the responsibility for knowing about and assessing housing need as well as for the allocation of the tenancies of their dwellings. They are well aware of the Government's view that tenants should be chosen on the basis of housing need.