§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many properties bought under the right to buy scheme have been found to have some form of structural defect which was undetected at the time of purchase.
§ Sir George YoungFollowing comprehensive studies by the Building Research Establishment, 24 dwelling types in England have been designated as inherently structurally defective under part XVI of the Housing Act 1985. Where owners purchased such properties from public sector landlords before the defects became known, they were given rights to assistance under the 1985 Act. Local authorities estimated that there were almost 31,000 properties whose owners qualified for assistance under the scheme. Statistics are not held centrally on how many of those properties were bought under the right to buy scheme.