Lord Williamsof Elvel asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many enfranchisement arrangements have taken place under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers)It is not possible to obtain comprehensive information on how many leaseholders in flats have been able to acquire the freehold of their homes, as the transactions are private. The Government do, however, monitor the number of cases coming before Leasehold Valuation Tribunals, where the parties cannot agree terms. To date, twelve collective enfranchisement cases, brought by a total of 92 participating leaseholders, have been decided. The total number of flats in the enfranchised properties is 106. But anecdotal evidence suggests that a larger number of properties have been enfranchised without the need to refer any issue to a tribunal.