Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling local authorities to buy properties to increase the supply of council house stock.

The government is supportive of local authorities buying properties to increase the supply of council housing.

The Social and Affordable Homes Programme permits local authorities to acquire homes.

In addition, the Local Authority Housing Fund enables local authorities to purchase homes, with homes initially to be used as temporary accommodation or to provide housing for the Afghan Resettlement Programme thus providing local authorities with a lasting council home for the future.