§ Mr. Raceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent on advertising the right to buy council houses in each of the past two financial years; and what is the advertising budget for the current financial year.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 4 May 1982, c. 51]: In the financial year 1980–81 £530,000 was spent on advertisements on television and in national newspapers telling public sector tenants of their new rights under part 1 of the Housing Act 1980. This included both the right to buy and the tenant's charter. A further £125,000 was spent later in the same financial year on newspaper advertisements to remind tenants of the need to serve right to buy claims forms by April 3 in order to qualify for an 8 August 1980 valuation.
In the financial year 1981–82 expenditure on publicising the right to buy was £239,000.
For 1982–83 expenditure currently committed to right to buy publicity amounts to £89,000. No decisions for further expenditure have been taken to date.