§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the question of taking the Stern block of flats into public ownership.
§ Mr. FreesonIt did not prove possible following the Department's offer last year to reach agreement with the liquidator and the many mortgages on an acceptable price on which the transaction could go forward for a co-operative housing association scheme of ownership and management. It is still possible that some of the properties might be brought into social ownership. If they are offered to local authorities at the right price I will consider each case on its merits. For the rest I will examine the problems of other tenants and the good maintenance of the properties in the rented sector in the light of the Report of the Working Party on Alternative Forms of Social Ownership and Tenure which I appointed in November 1975 and the review of782W the Rent Acts which we are setting in train.