HC Deb 21 March 1973 vol 853 cc83-4W
Mr. Grylls

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish details of all those local authorities that have not offered council houses and flats for sale to sitting tenants.

Mr. Channon

In 1972 46 per cent. of local authorities in England and Wales sold dwellings as against 31 per cent. in 1971. Annual details of sales by local authority area are published in "Local Housing Statistics: England and Wales". Issue No. 21 of February 1972 contains the details for 1971 and the 1972 details will appear in the February 1973 issue which is expected to be published very shortly.

Mr. Loveridge

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make certain that council tenants who wish to purchase the homes in which they live cannot be denied the opportunity to obtain mortgages in order to do so on grounds of age, in view of the fact that the security lies in the value of the property to be purchased and not in the age or youth of the occupants of the property.

Mr. Channon

This is a matter for the discretion of individual lending institutions. I would hope that mortgagees, whether local authorities or otherwise, would act in as reasonable and helpful a manner as possible and that they will bear in mind the desirability of helping older as well as younger council tenants to buy the houses in which they live.

Mr. Loveridge

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers designed to ensure that in the coming 12 months at least four times as many tenants of public authority houses are able to purchase their homes each year as occurred in 1972, when 1 per cent. bought their homes.

Mr. Channon

I share my hon. Friend's wish that more tenants should be given the opportunity to buy their homes. 621 local authorities in England and Wales sold houses in 1972 compared with 426 in 1971 and 244 in 1970. Local authorities reported sales of 6,674 houses in January 1973, the highest monthly total on record. I hope that this progress will be maintained without the need for further powers to be taken by my right hon. and learned Friend.