§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present criterion for permitting the authority responsible for rented accommodation in new towns to sell that accommodation to sitting tenants; and if he will list those new towns in which that criterion is not applicable at the present time.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettAs laid down in the Department's circular (NT 457), the principal requirement for permitting new towns development corporations to sell rented accommodation to sitting tenants is an adequate supply of houses for rent. The measure used to judge this is the current waiting period for the main category of people housed by the corporation in question. When this period is less than three months the corporation may apply for consent to sell. Regard is paid to the views of the relevant local authority in all cases.
Of the 11 corporations which have not yet transferred their main housing stock to the local authority, Basildon has been refused consent to tell.
899WFour others—Central Lancashire, Runcorn, Warrington and Washington—have not yet made application for consent to do so. Six—Milton Keynes, Northampton, Peterborough, Redditch, Skelmersdale and Telford—have received consent.