HC Deb 22 March 1995 vol 257 cc272-3W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the grounds for refusal of an application by a tenant under the right to buy legislation. [14542]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 21 March 1995]: There are certain safeguards within the right to buy provisions to permit local authorities to retain a stock of houses which are required for specific purposes.

Under section 61(4) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 the right to buy does not apply to groups of houses provided with facilities—including a call system and a warden service—specially designed or adapted for the needs of elderly or disabled people. These are generally known as sheltered housing.

Section 69 of the Act gives public sector landlords discretion to apply to the Secretary of State for permission to refuse to sell houses with features suitable for occupation by persons of pensionable age. Such houses must have facilities which make them substantially different from those of an ordinary house.

An application to purchase may also be refused under schedule 2 to the 1987 Act where the tenant is required to live in the house as a consequence of his employment for the better performance of his duties; or where the house forms part of a building, or comes within the boundaries of another building, which is held by the authority mainly for purposes other than housing.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment the Scottish Office has made of the average profit which is made by an owner-occupier when the owner sells a former council property purchased under the right to buy legislation. [14530]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 21 March 1995]: The Scottish Office does not collect information on the resale price of former council property. When a former council house is sold, the difference between the right to buy discounted price and the price obtained in a sale on the open market will depend on various factors; including the original level of discount, the marketability of the property, and the state of the housing market at the time.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate for each local authority in Scotland(a) the number of dwellings they currently own, (b) the number of properties sold under the right to buy legislation and (c) the number of properties sold as a percentage of their total housing stock listed in descending order. [14531]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 21 March 1995]: Information on the number of dwellings owned by local authorities is published in the statistical bulletin HSG/1994/9 Housing Trends in Scotland—Quarter ended 30 June 1994. Information on the number of local authority dwellings sold to sitting tenants by each local authority, including those sold under the right to buy legislation, is published each quarter in the same statistical bulletin series. The series is available in the House Library.

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