§ Mr. Grahamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the Final Report of the Working Party on Housing Co-operatives, chaired by Mr. Harold Campbell; what steps he proposes to take to implement the report; and what further measures he has in mind to encourage alternative forms of social ownership and tenure.
§ Mr. FreesonI hope to publish the Final Report of the Working Party on Housing Co-operatives chaired by Harold Campbell next month. Although some of its recommendations will have to be considered in conjunction with our housing finance review, others will not await this. It is Government policy to seek the establishment of tenants' co-operatives where practicable in local authority and housing association estates and as part of their municipalisation programme.
At the same time as the working party's report is published we will issue a Departmental circular of guidance about the setting up of housing co-operatives. In accordance with the working party's recommendations I have asked the Housing Corporation to assume overall responsibility for sponsoring and advising co-operatives under the guidance of an advisory committee, the membership of which I hope to announce shortly.
I have been considering additional forms of social ownership and tenure and have now asked Mr. Campbell to chair a new working group to carry this work a stage further, with the following terms of reference:
To consider new forms of social ownership, tenure and management, and methods by which wider opportunities may be provided for individuals to share in the ownership and management of their homes, taking account of the Report by the Working Party on Housing Cooperatives, and to make recommendations.The following have agreed to serve as members of the working group: Sir 7W Dennis Pilcher, Mr. Derek Wood, Mr. Robert Gardner, Mr. Harry Simpson, Mr. John Baker, Councillor Clive Wilkinson, Councillor Mrs. Pat Hollis, Mr. Michael Harloe, Mrs. Monica Ferman, Mr. J. W. Hughes, assisted by officials from the Department.I have asked the group to make a preliminary report to be considered as part of our housing finance review.
The working group will examine among other things, the scope for various forms of share equity arangements, individual or group leasing of rented dwellings; and various forms of local authority and housing association leasing of private rented dwellings, on which Sir Dennis Pilcher and Mr. Derek Wood will report specifically.