HC Deb 30 October 1990 vol 178 cc466-7W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he will use to determine the success or otherwise of the rents-into-mortgages scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

The pilot scheme will test whether buying on rents-to-mortgages terms offers a practical route into home ownership for tenants who cannot afford to exercise the right to buy.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment ( I) when he will be in a position to extend the rents-into-mortgages scheme to the whole of England and Wales;

(2) if he will consider extending the rents-intomortgages scheme to the Gloucester area; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

The pilot scheme in Basildon is restricted to new town tenants and could not be extended to local authority tenants, in Gloucester or elsewhere, without legislation. The case for any extension will be examined in the light of experience in the experimental scheme.

Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many tenants have expressed an interest in participating in the Basildon new town rents-into-mortgages scheme;

(2) what representations he has received from (a) tenants on new town estates, (b) tenants' organisations and (c) Basildon district council in connection with the trial rents-into-mortgages scheme.

Mr. Key

Thirteen public sector tenants, including one from Basildon, have made representations welcoming the pilot rents-to-mortgages scheme following its announcement. It is too early to assess the level of interest in participating in the scheme, since the details have only recently been announced.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for how long the pilot rents-into-mortgages scheme in Basildon will run.

Mr. Key

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 23 October 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman), (Official Report, vol. 178, cols. 185–86).

Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any representations from tenants or their organisation from outside the Basildon new town estates, urging the introduction of rents-Mtomortgages schemes on local authority or other new town estates.

Mr. Key

We have received about 90 such representations.

Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department or the Basildon new town commission has any plans to undertake door-to-door canvassing to promote the rents-into-mortgages scheme.

Mr. Key

I understand that the Commission for the New Towns is writing to tenants at Basildon informing them of the rents-to-mortgages scheme, and will write again with more detailed information and invitations to apply to buy under the scheme in due course.