A SPENDING freeze imposed on Burnley's housing stock transfer plans is unnecessary, the town's MP Peter Pike has insisted.

He believes the council has had all the government assurances and promises required that the £20 million residual debt problem will be dealt with.

Council tenants voted for the transfer of all Burnley's council houses to a publicly-run company.

But the council has now stopped spending on the transfer until they get written government confirmation that the residual debt will be written off.

The council has called on Mr Pike to arrange a meeting with ministers and treasury officials.

Mr Pike said today he saw no hope of getting an early meeting as Parliament was in recess with a cabinet re-shuffle imminent.

But he said: "The council has been given all the assurances by officials and ministers that they need. I personally think they are making heavy weather of it.

"If they were doubtful they should not have gone ahead with the ballot. They have been assured by civil servants that they have no need to worry and the minister Hilary Armstrong has told me two or three times that the residual debt problem will be resolved."

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