At a recent meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) ARCH has been
advised that the government's response to its consultation on the
use of Right to Buy (RTB) receipts is now expected to be published
alongside the Chancellors Spring Statement 2019. A date for
the Spring Statement has not yet been set and may to an extent
depend on the outcome of Brexit negotiations. Last year's Statement
was made on 13 March 2018.
Following the publication of RTB figures which showed that the
government continues to fall short of its commitment for 1 for 1
replacement of dwellings sold under the Reinvigorated RTB, Housing
Minister, Dominic Raab issued a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS
614) to Parliament on 29 March 2018 under the heading "Social
Housing Update". In the Statement he announced that the government
would consult with the sector on providing greater flexibility
around how local authorities can use their RTB (Right to Buy)
receipts.
A formal consultation paper "Use of receipts from Right to Buy
sales" was subsequently published on 14 August 2018
alongside the Social Housing Green Paper. This consultation closed
on 9 October 2018, but the government has not yet issued a response
to the consultation. ARCH has been pressing MHCLG officials for
early publication of the government's proposals following that
consultation and we were expecting that a response would have been
published this month.