§ Mr. David Stoddartasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now seek to amend the Option Mortgage Scheme to provide that a person may exercise his option after five years or at age 65 years, irrespective of the number of years up to a maximum of 20 for which his mortgage has existed.
§ Mr. AmeryThere is already provision for a person who experiences a substantial but not reasonably foreseeable alteration in his financial circumstances to switch from an ordinary mortgage to an option mortgage, at the discretion of his lender. I am not yet in a position to make a statement about changes in the scheme.