§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 April 2002,Official Report, column 46W, on right to buy, who has been commissioned to undertake the research projects into the right to buy scheme; what the terms of reference are of each project; and when work on each will be completed. [53018]
§ Ms KeebleThe information is as follows
(i) the impact of the February 1999 changes to limits on right to buy discounts:undertaken by a team from the universities of Bristol and Birmingham:to examine the effect of the reduction (from £50,000 to £22,000-£38,000 varying by region) in the maximum cash limit on the RTB discount that came into force in February 1999 and to estimate the likely effects of further changes in the RTB discount:expected completion date: July 2002.(ii) exploitation of the right to buy scheme by companies:undertaken by Heriot-Watt university:to examine the scale, nature and impact of the misuse of the right to buy policy by companies:expected completion date: November 2002.(iii) a review of the system for valuing properties for right to buy purposes:undertaken by College of Estate Management:to examine the variation in valuations of RTB properties by local authorities and by the Valuation Office Agency, identifying the criteria and procedures used and the appeals process and attempt to explain any variances between valuations of the same properties:expected completion date: June 2003.