§ Mr. David MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to change the financial arrangements for short-term leases acquired by local authorities.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department has today issued a consultation paper to all local housing authorities on the future of short-term leasing. We believe that this form of accommodation has a useful role to play in helping homeless families. We are proposing that, from 1992–93, new leases acquired by local authorities for a term of three years or less should be accounted for outside the housing revenue account. This will put them on a common financial footing with other property used by housing authorities as temporary accommodation for the homeless, but in which they have no long-term interest.