asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of the Green Paper on housing improvements and repairs, he will now permit housing authorities to invest all receipts from sales of council housing on new building and home improvements without central Government control.

The measures taken by the Government to reduce the rate at which capital receipts can be used in the present financial year were necessary to lessen the risk of local authority capital spending exceeding planned levels. My right hon. Friend has no plans to remove this control.