HC Deb 19 November 1981 vol 13 cc218-9W
Mr. Wilkinson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give the number of public sector house sales, broken down by local authority, within Greater London, since 3 October 1980;

(2) if he will give the latest information on the number of applications to purchase public sector houses under the right to buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 received by each local authority in Greater London;

(3) if he will give the latest information on the number of applications to purchase public sector houses under the right to buy provision of the Housing Act 1980 received by each local authority in England and Wales, excluding Greater London;

(4) if he will give the number of public sector house sales, broken down by local authority, within England and Wales, excluding Greater London, since 3 October1980.

Mr. Stanley

Statistics on sales of local authority dwellings, both under the right to buy and voluntarily, for local authorities in England and Wales for the financial year 1980–81, and further information to the end of June 1981 for English authorities only, were placed in the Library following my answers to the right hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Ennals) and to my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Heddle) on 13 November 1981—[Vol. 13, c. 207 and Vol. 13, c. 205–6]. For later information on Welsh authorities I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Mr. Ennals

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many complaints he received between 1 September and 17 November from people in Norwich about the sale of council houses and the record of the city council in implementing the Housing Act 1980.

Mr. Stanley

The Department received five complaints in writing from tenants in the period referred to by the right hon. Member.

Mr. Ennals

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Norwich, North on 13 November on the sale of council houses, whether he will state the basis on which his Department has sought information from some authorities as opposed to others on the issuing of notices under section 10 of the Housing Act 1980.

Mr. Stanley

Information on the issue of section 10 notices is sought formally by the Department from authorities where there appears to be cause for concern whether tenants seeking to exercise the right to buy have or may have difficulty in exercising that right effectively and expeditiously.