asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce measures to enable the progressive privatisation of the management and financing of housing currently under the control of local authorities.

Local authorities already have powers to transfer ownership of their housing to private organisations. Thousands of derelict and vacant local authority dwellings have been bought, improved, and resold, by private developers. Some councils have handed over the management of property still in their ownership to co-operatives of tenants. The Government welcome these initiatives and will encourage further schemes through the new urban housing renewal unit, announced by my right hon. Friend, in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson) on 26 February, at column 99.