WORCESTER'S MP has welcomed extending the 'Right-to-Buy' to housing association properties - saying it will make a big difference.

Robin Walker used a parliamentary debate to tell Housing Minister Brandon Lewis of his delight at the scheme.

The MP's late father Lord Peter Walker was one of the driving forces behind the introduction of Right-to-Buy for council house tenants, advocating it as early in 1972 and then helping it become legislation in 1980.

The offer has now been extended to 1.3 million housing association tenants across the country, under a voluntary deal struck with the National Housing Federation.

It still gives housing associations the discretion not to sell in certain circumstances, including where a property is in a rural area and could not be replaced or where it has been adapted for tenants with special needs.

The move has already been backed by the likes of Worcester-based Sanctuary Housing, which believes it can build replacements like-for-like using the proceeds.

Mr Walker, speaking in the Commons, said: "Having raised the concerns of my constituents in housing association properties I'm delighted this voluntary deal has been reached.

"The minister may be interested to know that Sanctuary Housing, the largest registered social landlord in the country and whose headquarters are in my constituency has said not only that it thinks the deal can be delivered with one-for-one replacements, but that it believes it can increase the supply of affordable housing over the next five years at almost twice the rate that it has been able to deliver over the last five years."

Mr Lewis said: "Over the last few months and especially over the last few weeks we've have been talking to housing associations which clearly want to use this deal to make their assets work, and to build more homes.

"We must remember that it will drive up housing supply."

The deal also requires the Government to compensate housing associations, which would retain the sales receipts and get a top-up so they can build replacement properties.

Shadow housing minister John Healey said in the Commons yesterday that ministers had put together a "backroom deal" to prevent a proper debate, calling it "unworkable".

The voluntary arrangement means there will not need to be any new laws passed over it.

Just six per cent of the National Housing Federation's members voted against a voluntary deal.

Out of 584 National Housing Federation members, 370 responded and of these, 55 per cent voted yes, six per cent voted no and 39 per cent abstained or did not respond.

The NHF argued that those who had voted for the deal represented 93 per cent of all housing association-rented homes.