§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 18 March,Official Report, column 383, if he will now make a statement on the evidence that he has received from East Lothian district council on 18 February, and also on 26 April, about abuses of the right to buy council houses with discounts; and if he will introduce amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to prevent such abuses.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. Friend has considered the information provided by East Lothian district council about certain right-to-buy sales in East Lothian. Our conclusion on the basis of this information is that it does not appear that anything has happened which is contrary to the right-to-buy provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.
Tenants who are buying their homes should be free to make whatever financial arrangements they think desirable to suit their particular circumstances. A tenant who has bought a house is also free to dispose of it as he or she wishes, subject to the provisions for the repayment of discount if the disposal takes place within three years. We do not propose to amend the legislation to constrain these freedoms.
It is important that tenants should understand the financial implications of any agreement they might enter into. It is advisable for tenants to take independent legal advice before entering into any agreement, and we will emphasise this in revising the leaflet "Buy Your Home" later this year.