HC Deb 30 July 1981 vol 9 cc529-30W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants since May 1979.

Mr. Stanley

Separate information on sales to sitting tenants is not available for the whole period, but a total of about 140,000 local authority and new town dwellings in Great Britain were sold in April 1979 to March 1981. In April 1980 to March 1981, 72,000, sales out of the total of 80,000, were to sitting tenants.

Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the recent meeting between officials of his Department and representatives of Scunthorpe borough council relating to the rate of progress of council house sales.

Mr. Stanley

The council's representatives provided information, which we are considering, on arrangements which the council is making to accelerate its timetable for implementing the right to buy.