§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will now meet a delegation from the borough of Newport to discuss the difficulties caused by the application of the right to buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 to prefabricated bungalows used as old people's homes;
(2) what correspondence he has had with the borough of Newport on the application of the right to buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 to prefabricated bungalows built for, or let to, the elderly and the disabled;
(3) what is his policy on allowing exemptions from the right to buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 in respect of prefabricated single-storey housing normally let to old people or the disabled.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsIn addition to correspondence about the principle of selling prefabricated bungalows, I have received two letters from the leader of Newport84W borough council about the applicability to such properties of the statutory exemptions from the right to buy which are provided in the Housing Act 1980. I have explained that if a local authority considers that a dwelling has substantially different features which make it suitable for occupation by a physically disabled person it may exclude it from the right to buy under the terms of paragraph 3 of schedule I to the Act; and that if a dwelling has been designed or specially adapted for occupation by persons of pensionable age, and it is the practice of the landlord to let it only for the occupation by such persons, the landlord may apply to the Secretary of State for a determination under the terms of paragraph 5 of schedule I to the Act that the right to buy shall not operate. I have also made clear that applications for such determinations will be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the terms of the relevant paragraph.
Officers of the borough council are welcome to discuss the application of these provisions with the Welsh Office if the council so desires.