§ Mr. O'HaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has available to him concerning the current level of service charges payable to local authorities in respect of flats purchased by sitting tenants under the right-to-buy legislation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryThe Department does not collect this information from local authorities. The protections against unreasonable service charges in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 apply to all leaseholders, including those who bought under the right to buy. In addition, purchasers of flats under the right to buy are given pre-sale estimates of service charges covering the first five years of the lease, and cannot be charged more than the amounts estimated for repairs and improvements.