§ Mr. Sydney Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for stimulating the development of co-operative housing.
§ Mr. FreesonI have set up a working party under the chairmanship of Mr. Harold Campbell to report to me on ways in which the Government, local government, housing associations, and other bodies can sponsor the formation of housing co-operatives and co-operative management schemes, enabling tenants to participate collectively in decisions which affect them and to have a financial stake in the ownership of their own homes. The working party includes representatives of the Housing Corporation, the local authority associations and the housing association movement, and has undertaken to provide a first report early in the new year. I am anxious to do everything possible to encourage the development of 157W co-operative housing and in the light of the report will make a further statement of policy. Meanwhile, Circular 70/74 "Local Authority Housing Programmes" issued in April 1974 asked local authorities to consider co-operative housing schemes in appropriate circumstances. A forthcoming circular on the Housing Corporation and housing associations will refer to the opportunities open to housing associations in the field of co-operative housing, and I am considering whether there is scope to encourage local authority sponsorship of co-operative housing under the Housing (Rents and Subsidies) Bill now before Parliament.