§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will hold discussions with building societies concerning their decision not to grant mortgages to owners seeking to sell prefabricated reinforced concrete houses built before 1960; and what guidance he is proposing to give to local authorities and owners over this matter.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsMy Department, together with the Department of the Environment and the Scottish Office, is already engaged in discussions with the Building Societies Association in the context of the Government's proposals to assist owners of defective houses bought from the public sector. But it is for the prospective mortgagee to decide in each individual case whether a mortgage should be advanced on the security of a particular dwelling. The technical reports published by the Building Research Establishment on 10 November last year on six types of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses should assist local authorities, owners and building societies in dealing with the problems which have arisen.