§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to extend his rents-into-mortgages scheme to local authority tenants.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe rents to mortgages scheme introduced by Scottish Homes is a trial scheme which is intended to run for three years, during which it will be subject to very careful monitoring and a full evaluation to ensure that any changes in content or in application which might be appropriate can be made as soon as possible.
§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to use television advertising to promote his rents-into-mortgages scheme.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNo. The experimental scheme now in operation is restricted in application to a specified group of tenants. Promotion of the scheme will be through a careful targeting of that group of tenants, rather than through the widespread publicity of a television campaign.
280W
§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the estates owned by Scottish Homes, showing their locations; and if he will estimate the average income of eligible tenants for participation in the rents-in to-mortgages scheme for those estates.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonScottish Homes owns houses in some 600 locations in Scotland. I will write to my hon. Friend with the list shortly.
We have no information on tenants' incomes in these areas on which to base an estimate of the average income of those tenants eligible for participation in the rents to mortgages scheme.
§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of applications he has received to date from eligible tenants wishing to convert their rents into mortgages.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonApplications are made to Scottish Homes which is the body responsible for the operation of the scheme. As at 27 November one application from an eligible tenant has been received by that body.
§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of inquiries since 30 October which have been received from eligible tenants willing to convert their rents into mortgages.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonSince my right hon. and learned Friend's announcement of the formal launch of the scheme on 30 October, at least 360 inquiries have been received.
At this stage we have insufficient information on the persons making these inquiries to enable us to say what percentage are eligible to purchase under the rents to mortgages scheme.