§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the reasons for the delay in sending to the chief executive of the Lichfield district council a revised general consent for sale of houses and long leases of flats held under part V powers of the Housing Act 1957 which, according to a departmental circular to all chief executives dated 22 September 1980, was to have been issued early in October 1980.
§ Mr. StanleyI am glad Ito tell my hon. Friend that a draft of a revised general consent was sent to the local authority associations on 13 March with a request for comments by 28 March. It will be sent to all local 79W authorities as soon as those comments have been received and considered. Local authorities do, of course, have extensive freedom to sell council dwellings under the existing general consent and are also able to seek a special consent if they consider that a particular transaction does not fall within the general consent. The Department wrote to the Lichfield district council on this matter on 10 March and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of that letter.