HC Deb 12 December 1979 vol 975 cc680-2W
26. Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses and council flats, respectively, have been sold in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Mr. Stanley

The figures are estimated as follows:

Houses: 9,590; 11,505; 6,935; and 6,750.

Flates: 90; 145; 135 and 150.

These are sales and leases other than shared ownership, by English local authorities, and relate to the last four quarters up to September 1979.

30. Mr. McNally

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in order to monitor the effectiveness of his policy on council house sales, he will undertake a study of the levels of application for, and sales of, council houses constructed in each decade since 1920.

Mr. Stanley

No such information has been collected by the Department and it would not now be obtainable on a comprehensive basis.

35. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate his Department has made of the current market value of a three-bedroomed semidetached council dwelling built in the 1930s outside London, in the light of his policy that these and similar dwellings should be offered for sale.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

We have not found it necessary to make such an estimate for the purpose of our policies on the sale of council houses.

37. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of council flats sold in the last 12 months to a convenient date; and what was the proportion of flats to the total of council properties sold.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

It is estimated that 520 existing council flats were disposed of by English local authorities in the 12 months ending 30 September 1979, about 1½ per cent. of all sales of existing dwellings.

47. Mr. Straw

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with local authorities about the sale of council houses at values below the actual cost of building them.

61. Mr. Homewood

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with local authorities about the sale of council houses at values below the actual cost of building them.

Mr. Stanley

This matter was included in the recent discussions I had with the local authority associations on the consultation papers issued in connection with the forthcoming Housing Bill.

63. Mr. Sever

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have a pool of void houses being retained for sale until new legislation comes into force.

Mr. Stanley

My Department does not collect information about void dwellings in this form but the legislation which I think the hon. Member has in mind will not extend the right to buy to empty houses.

68. Mr. Douglas-Mann

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated total cost to local authorities and the Exchequer over a 20-year period from the sale of a typical local authority house, taking into account lost rent income and tax relief on mortgage interest to the first and subsequent purchasers.

Mr. Stanley

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Mr. Holland) on 23 October 1979.—[Vol. 972, c.142.]

75. Mr Beith

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will permit housing authorities in rural areas to place a limit on the proportion of their housing stock in any particular village which can be sold to tenants.

Mr. Stanley

Our proposals in respect of the rural areas are set out in paragraph 11 of the consultation paper on the right to buy and do not include any such limit.

79. Mr. Archer

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the minimum income which it is proposed to prescribe as a condition of acquiring the right to purchase a council house.

Mr. Stanley

There are no proposals to prescribe such a figure.