§ 23. Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the progress made so far with the sale of council houses to sitting tenants.
§ Mr. GowYes. Approximately 550,000 houses and flats were sold between April 1979 and June 1983 by local authorities and new towns in Great Britain, some 363,000 of them under the right-to-buy. The vast majority of these were to sitting tenants. In addition, housing associations sold 35,000, of which 26,000 were to sitting tenants. Many authorities have made good progress, but I am determined that the right to buy conferred on tenants by Parliament should be exercised speedily and without110W obstruction. My Department monitors those authorities whose performance needs to improve and all steps necessary to enforce the rights of tenants will be taken.
§ 46. Mr. Norrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of council flats and houses sold since May 1979.
§ Mr. GowBetween April 1979 and June 1983, an estimated 555,000 dwellings were sold by local authorities and new towns in Great Britain. Separate estimates, available only from April 1980, are 477,000 houses and 17,000 flats.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold nationally, and in the city of Leicester, in 1983 to date.
§ Sir George YoungIt is provisionally estimated that 90,000 dwellings were sold by local authorities and new towns in Great Britain during the first half of 1983.
During the same period 1,043 dwellings were reported as sold by the city of Leicester of which 1,042 were sold under the right-to-buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980.