HC Deb 16 January 1989 vol 145 c20W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state, for the most recent 20 year period for which figures are available, the annual rate of transfer of public sector tenants from council and new town homes to (i) owner-occupation in the private sector, not including sales of council houses, (ii) private sector flats and (iii) housing association properties.

Mr. Trippier

Estimated numbers of local authority and new town tenants who had moved to other tenures in the previous 12 months, other than by purchase as sitting tenants, are available from two national movers surveys carried out in the 1970s and from the 1984 labour force survey housing trailer. Estimates for England and Wales in 1971 and for England in 1977–78 and 1984 are as follows:

Present tenure and type of accommodation 1971 1977–78 1984
Owner occupier
House 66,000 46,000 32,000
Flat 5,000
Private renter
House 12,000
Flat 25,000 25,000 5,000
Housing association renter 3,000

Type of accommodation is not available for 1971 and 1977–78.