§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions his Department is planning to have with tenants' groups within Irvine new town on safeguarding the interests of development corporation tenants.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 31 January 1994]: Responsibility for discussion and consultation with the tenants lies with the development corporation. I understand that it has already held meetings and issued newsletters and plans to continue this practice.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the timetable for the disposal by Irvine development corporation of its housing stock.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 31 January 1994]: Our policy guidance to corporations encourages them to maximise tenure diversification in the period prior to wind-up. This will involve sales to tenants under right to buy and rent to mortgage and sales of all new build and vacant houses to housing associations.
For the remaining tenanted stock, the development corporation is to submit its strategy to the Secretary of State by 31 December 1994 and once approved successor landlords will be invited to submit bids for the stock. Tenants will choose their successor landlord in ballots to be held around six months before wind-up.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenancies are currently managed by Irvine development corporation; how many Irvine development corporation tenants have opted to purchase their properties for each year since the introduction of the legislation allowing this; what are the current values of(a) Irvine development corporation's housing stock, (b) Irvine development corporation's commercial assets and (c) Irvine development corporation's headquarters; and what is Irvine development corporation's current annual turnover and its annual expenditure.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 31 January 1994]: There is no standard definition of turnover which can be applied to the new towns. The annual accounts of each town are prepared to a common style and disclose income arising from rents, grants, subsidies and other sources together with the income and outgoings on property transactions. The latest accounts which are contained in the corporation's annual report for 1992–93 are available in the Library of the House. These accounts also provide the net book value of the corporation's assets at 31 March 1993. 786W Valuations for individual properties do not appear since it is commercial inappropriate to provide these for properties which will be sold in the near future.
The tenancies managed by the corporation at 1 January 1994 were:
Number (a) Housing 3,668 (b) Industry 92 (c) Commercial 83 (d) Other, including agricultural 161 The numbers of corporation housing tenants who have opted to purchase their house under the right-to-buy provisions are as follows:
Number 1980–81 21 1981–82 15 1982–83 79 1983–84 74 1984–85 94 1985–86 86 1986–87 192 1987–88 196 1988–89 279 1989–90 353 1990–91 261 1991–92 167 1992–93 138 11993–94 133 1 To 1 December 1993.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what precise measures he will take to ensure the rights of Irvine development corporation tenants to transfer to a local authority landlord, following the Government's planned reforms of Scottish local government.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 31 January 1994]: The tenants of Irvine development corporation will be able to choose their successor landlord in ballots to be held before wind-up. My right hon. Friend agreed in February 1992 that the local authority could bid to be the successor landlord and the detailed guidance issued to development corporations and local authorities makes clear what is expected of all bidders. Local government reform does not alter this.