§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information is available on the recent right to buy performance of London authorities.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)The right to buy performance of London authorities has been monitored by my department for a number of years. Annual monitoring is carried out on each authority's performance at the end of September, with poor performers submitting additional reports on a monthly basis. Data from the latest survey are given in a detailed table, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
We are pleased to report that data for September 1993 show that the number of tenants whose applications are being unduly delayed continues to decline. Across London as a whole delays beyond statutory deadlines have fallen by over 50 per cent. from 884 to 403. This compares with over 15,000 delayed cases in March 1989, when the Government's "tenants sanctions" procedures came into effect.
Only Hackney was monitored on a monthly basis in 1993. Hackney's performance was very much better than in earlier years, but could be improved. Monthly monitoring will continue but will cease if Hackney's performance improves further.