The Scottish Government's announcement of restrictions to the right to buy housing policy is welcome, but outright abolition seems to be an "afterthought", according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland.

When announcing a consultation on the policy’s future last week, Housing Minister Keith Brown said restrictions would boost the supply of social housing across Scotland by cutting discounts on the right to buy scheme and restricting it in areas of low housing supply.

The consultation asks respondents to choose between modernising right to buy and abolishing it altogether.

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But David Bookbinder of CIH Scotland said the minister did not seem to want to push for abolishing the system.

Mr Bookbinder said: "Even though sales are currently at a historically low level, we all have to question whether RTB has any useful role now in a housing market which has changed so much since the 1980s and indeed in the last few years. From the consultation paper and accompanying news release, it does seem that the option of complete abolition comes over as something of an afterthought, giving the impression that there may be less ministerial appetite for this, despite the obvious opportunity presented by a majority government."

He said the complexity of deciding who was entitled to buy their social house might well lead survey respondents to support abolishing the right.

Mr Bookbinder said: "The consultation will give councils, housing associations and tenants much to consider."

(NE/GK)