asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the extra bids for resources from local authorities to meet their obligations under the Housing Defects Act.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Staffordshire (Mr. Heddle) on 23 October 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications for repurchase have now been made under the Housing Defects Act 1984.

Local authorities in England have so far reported that 140 dwellings were purchased under the Housing Defects Act between 1 December 1984 and 31 March 1985, and that some 190 dwellings have been repurchased during the first quarter of the current financial year. I regret that information on the number of applications made for assistance under the Housing Defects Act, including claims for repurchase under section 3(5) of the Act, is not currently available.