What conclusions it has reached following its consultation on the papers Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour - The Way Forward and A New Sing…

I indicated earlier this week that we will set out or plans for forthcoming legislation in early July and this will represent the most comprehensive review of housing policy in decades. Our plans for legislation will build on ideas presented in December. In the area of anti social behaviour we propose to introduce probationary tenancies for anti social tenants as well as make it easier for nuisance neighbours to be moved from the community.We will legislate to introduce a common set of enhanced statutory rights (a new secure tenancy) for all tenants of social landlords. The new tenancy will build on the current secure model with new rights to succession, for example, for carers and new rights requiring landlords to consult tenants about plans for their homes enshrined in legislation. We will also enable additional rights to be provided on a contractual basis. We have also received a wide range of views on our proposals for modernising the right to buy in Scotland as part of these new tenancy arrangements. The main volume of comment has been in relation to three areas: the potential effect of our proposal if it was applied retrospectively to housing association assured tenants; the ineffectiveness of the current exemption to meet the needs of pressured areas; and the future operation of discounts for new tenants. We have responded to each of these concerns directly in our proposals for a modernised right to buy.Our conclusion is that the right to buy with its existing terms and conditions should remain unaltered for all current tenants who have this right. However, the right to buy for new tenancies should be modernised to strike a better balance between the interests of the individual, the landlord and the community as a whole.New tenants will become eligible to exercise the right to buy after five years as compared to the two-year period required under the current arrangements. In addition, a new unified discount structure for houses and flats will be introduced so that tenants will receive a 20% discount after the initial five year qualifying period, increasing by 2% per annum to a maximum 50% after 15 years and be capped at £20,000.With respect to pressured areas, councils will be able to apply for a designation where there are particular difficulties in meeting the demand for socially rented housing. In these areas, the right to buy could be suspended for all new and re-let council and housing association tenancies for a specific period with the possibility of extension if pressures are not eased. We also intend to enable social landlords operating in these designated areas to offer tenants financial assistance towards the purchase of a house on the open market. The current exemption from right to buy for charitable housing association will continue and we will extend the existing exemption for sheltered housing to cover all group housing provided for persons with particular needs.With regard to retrospection, we have considered carefully the position of assured tenants of non-charitable housing associations that do not currently have a right to buy. We wish these tenants also to benefit from the new single social tenancy and, over time, from the modernised right to buy. Concerns have been expressed that the introduction of the new modernised right to buy could threaten the financial viability of some landlords. So, individual housing associations can choose to bring particular properties within the scope of the modernised right to buy if they so wish, but if there are concerns about financial viability properties can remain exempt for up to 10 years.We plan to make some general changes, which will affect both existing and new tenants. We propose to suspend eligibility for the right to buy from any tenants with arrears of rent and council tax and where legal proceedings are under way against