The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) wants to suspend Wales’ right-to-buy scheme in order to stem the loss of affordable housing in the country.

In Wales, the right-to-buy scheme gives tenants of council homes and some housing association tenants the right to buy their home at a discount to the open market value. The current maximum discount in Wales is £16,000.

The WAG is seeking powers from Westminster to stop this scheme as in some counties, such as Powys and Ceredigion, almost 60% of council housing stock has been sold under right-to-buy.

It said that since the right-to-buy scheme was introduced in 1980, tenants in Wales have purchased more than 140,000 homes, which halves the country’s social housing stock.

The proposed changes would also allow social landlords the right of first refusal to buy back any of their properties that were resold within ten years of their original purchase under right-to-buy.