HC Deb 08 June 1981 vol 6 cc43-4W
Mr. Freeson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply he has sent to the chief executive of Brent borough council in response to his letter of 2 May giving details of the sales procedure for council houses and flats adopted by the borough; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Stanley

The Department replied to the council's letter last week.

Mr. Freeson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to reply to the request from Brent borough council sent on 27 April asking for advice on the difficulties Brent has encountered in cases where tenants on estates with communal services, such as a common heating system, have requested to buy their properties but cannot be given a firm purchase price.

Mr. Stanley

A reply has been sent today.

Mr. Freeson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received complaints that his Department's right-to-buy form for council tenants leads to tenants making applications with incorrect or incomplete information; and whether he will revise the form to facilitate its correct completion.

Mr. Stanley

The right-to-buy claim form seeks to combine ease of completion for the tenant with the provision of the maximum information that it is in the tenant's interest to provide. Some complaints have been received about the content of the form, and certain alterations have been suggested. No revision of the claim form is, however, proposed in the immediate future, in view of the number of right-to-buy applications currently being processed and the fact that the existing form has clearly been satisfactorily completed by a very large number of tenants.

Mr. Freeson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance to local authorities as to how charges could most fairly be calculated for flats with certain communal services when tenants apply to buy.

Mr. Stanley

This is a matter for local authorities themselves. The Department has, however, been discussing with representatives of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and others the provisions in the Housing Act 1980 relating to service charges.