§ Mr Dykesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider taking specific action to oblige local authorities in the Greater London area to comply with the council house sales provision of his legislation in cases where the said authority owns houses in a neighbouring authority over which the new policy, is fully operational, such as in the case of the London borough of Brent which owns certain properties in the London borough of Harrow.
§ Mr. StanleyWhere a local authority is the landlord of a council dwelling, that authority's duties under the 63W right to buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 remain the same whether the property lies within its own geographical boundaries or those of another authority.
We intend to ensure that all tenants with a valid right to buy are able to exercise it effectively and expeditiously. As regards Brent, we have already taken up formally with the borough council its rate of progress in implementing the right to buy.
On the action the Government are taking in respect of other London boroughs, I refer my hon. Friend to the answers which my right hon. Friend gave on 21 May—[Vol 5 c. 177]—and which I gave on 22 June—[Vol. 7. c. 57]—to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) and to my reply on 3 July to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Budgen).
§ Mr. Kaufmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an estimate of how many average council houses a local authority needs to sell in order to obtain sufficient capital receipts to build one average council house.
§ Mr. HeseltineI shall answer this question shortly.