§ Mr. LofthouseTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what public subsidy was made available for the purchase of former British Coal properties by housing associations or local authorities; and what steps have been taken to monitor the identities of the purchasers of these properties.
§ Mr. TrippierEarlier this year, £1.25 million was paid by the Housing Corporation to a consortium of registered housing associations purchasing British Coal properties in Nottinghamshire. No specific Exchequer subsidy has been made available for similar purchases by local authorities. The identity of those to whom properties are sold is a matter for British Coal, but under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, all tenants have the right to know who their landlord is.