§ Mr. Powleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to continue with the special arrangements under which tenants of Norwich city council are currently exercising the right to buy their homes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GowNorwich city council has been processing right-to-buy applications from its tenants for the sale of council houses under the terms of a consent given by my right hon. Friend the present Secretary of State for Defence following his decision to serve notice of intervention on the council on 3 December 1981. These arrangements, under which more than 2,000 tenants have purchased their homes, have been kept under review. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has concluded that, in view of the council's progress with the right to buy and the assurances given by the council about its future practices and performance, the notice of intervention should be removed.
My Department has given the council today a notice of withdrawal of intervention under which the specific timetables and processing arrangements set out in the terms of the consent will not apply to applications submitted after the notice of withdrawal has effect. Norwich city council, as with other local authorities, will continue to be subject to the statutory requirements of the Housing Act 1980 and the Housing and Building Control Act 1984 in its conduct of the right to buy. The removal of the notice of intervention makes no difference to the right of tenants of the council to purchase their homes or to make representations to the council or my Department if they feel they are being unfairly treated.