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Rural Housing

Volume 264: debated on Thursday 26 October 1995

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to exempt small rural villages from his Department's new right-to-buy arrangements for (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations' tenants to ensure their homes are not turned into holiday cottages or sold to outsiders; and if he will make a statement. [39057]

Following the publication of the Housing White Paper, we consulted widely on the proposal for a purchase grant scheme for tenants of housing associations. In the light of concerns expressed about the impact of the proposals on the availability of social housing in rural areas, we have concluded that existing and future housing association properties situated in rural communities of less than 3,000 people will not be included in the purchase grant scheme. This will be provided for in legislation.

The purchase grant proposals relate only to tenants of housing associations, and not those of local authorities.