HC Deb 13 May 1981 vol 4 cc302-4W
Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain from the Housing Corporation and publish in the Official Report details of how many housing association tenants have applied to buy or lease their dwelling under chapter 1 of the Housing Act 1980: how many have had their right to buy accepted, how many sales have been completed; and what percentage each of these figures is of the total eligible stock.

Mr. Heseltine

[pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1981]: Unlike the position in respect of local authorities, the quarterly statistics being collected by the Housing Corporation relate not to applications to buy, but to the service of section 10 (offer) notices by housing associations on tenants who have claimed the right to buy. By 1 May, the Housing Corporation had received 902 copies of such notices, which represent about 0.75 per cent. of the total eligible stock estimated at around 120,000. One sale had been completed. Since the answer I gave to the right hon. Gentleman on 12 January—[Vol. 996, c. 519.]—it has been decided to collect from housing associations annually rather than quarterly statistics on the number of right to buy applications and acceptances.