Extending Right to Buy 'Could Add £60bn to National Debt'

Nearly £60bn of debt could be added to the national balance sheet under a Conservative plan to extend the Right to Buy to housing associations. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said if the proposal led to an increase in government control over housing associations, the body - which is independent of government - may have to assess England’s 1,500 housing associations’ status as public bodies. Housing associations are currently considered private providers and carry their debts as private organisations. But if they were classified as public bodies by the ONS, their total debt would have to be carried on the national balance sheet. Read more on Inside Housing.