§ 42. Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial assistance his Department is prepared to offer local authorities which wish to consider the purchasing of any dwellings offered to them by private builders.
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§ Mr. KaufmanThe acquisition of such dwellings by local authorities was specifically encouraged in Circular 70/74 and additional provision was made in the national public expenditure estimates to enable such acquisitions to take place. This activity, like normal local authority housing provision, is eligible for housing subsidy. So far in the present financial year, the Department has approved the acquisiltion by local authorities of some 4,500 dwellings. Further acquisitions are under discussion between local authorities and private builders and I hope there will be further useful additions to local authority housing stocks from this source. We have also extended the priority categories to which local authorities may lend to includes all first-time purchasers of new houses in 1974.