Social Housing: Right-to-buy Sales

Lord Shipley Excerpts
Thursday 18th April 2024

(2 weeks, 3 days ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Swinburne Portrait Baroness Swinburne (Con)
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I am afraid that is not my understanding of what has happened historically, and I understand that some Members of this House may have been involved in setting up the original scheme.

Lord Shipley Portrait Lord Shipley (LD)
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I remind the House of my register of interests. Can we go back to the issue of the right to buy? In the last year, 10,896 homes were sold through right to buy in England and only 3,447 houses replaced them—a net loss of 7,449 in 2022-23. How would the Minister explain that to a family stuck in temporary accommodation which is gradually becoming permanent?

Baroness Swinburne Portrait Baroness Swinburne (Con)
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I do not recognise those figures. The figures I have in front of me are that, in 2022-23, local authorities reported 10,896 eligible sales, which was very similar to sales in 2021-22, and delivered 8,900 homes that same year. Overall, there was a net increase of 4,600 affordable homes in that year.