HC Deb 08 April 1974 vol 872 c34W
Mr. George Rodgers

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his intention to seek to impose a restriction on the proportion of local authority houses that may be sold to sitting tenants.

Mr. Freeson

Whilst I can envisage cases where the sale of council houses may not be unreasonable, I consider that it is wrong for local authorities to sell their houses indiscriminately where there is a substantial need for rented accommodation. I think most local authorities recognise this, and I hope it will not be necessary for me to impose formal restrictions on the discretion which local authorities enjoy in this matter.