Right to Buy: Housing Associations
Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Patten
Baroness Hollis of Heigham
One in nine of the houses sold under RTB has been replaced. Why does the Minister think that the housing associations sales will be any different?
Lord Patten (Con)
My Lords, it is indeed very good news that a majority of housing associations are in favour of this excellent opportunity afforded to them. Can my noble friend say when next there will be an opportunity to have an estimate by the Government of what individual tenants, many of whom wish to have this opportunity, are thinking, and when that will be published?
Baroness Williams of Trafford
My noble friend makes a very important point, because at the heart of this policy are the tenants and their aspiration to own their own home. I will segue into the previous point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, about right-to-buy properties not keeping pace; in fact, that programme has literally just started.