§ 54. Mr. Dykesasked the secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that local authorities who are slow to meet local demand to purchase council-owned homes will now implement this policy in accordance with the legislation in force, following his recent protest and that of his hon. Friend, the Minister of State.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the progress being made by local authorities in implementing the Housing Act 1980 as it relates to the rights of local authority tenants to buy their homes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyI refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) and to my previous answer of March 4—[Vol. 1000, c. 268.] My right hon. Friend is giving full consideration to the rate of progress in the authorities concerned.
§ Mr. Durantasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Reading, North on 4 March, Official Report, column 68, what information he now has about whether right-to-buy claim forms and correspondence sent by Lambeth tenants to the Lambeth council's offices are still being interfered with.
§ Mr. StanleyI understand that on 11 March NALGO members at Lambeth were instructed by the branch secretary to hand direct to the chief executive all external post, both past and future, relating to council house sales and that such post should not be held by any union 129W member. The chief executive is satisfied that applications and letters now arriving are being transmitted promptly to the responsible staff; and having regard to the assurances given by the union and the action they have taken, the chief executive has every reason to believe that all intercepted applications and correspondence have been handed over.
The general rate of progress by Lambeth in implementing the right to buy is still under consideration by my right hon. Friend.