The Housing Authority has halted a scheme enabling tenants living on social assistance in state property to buy their own home, the Labour Party said yesterday.

PL housing spokesman Roderick Galdes accused the government of stopping the scheme underhandedly without explaining its decision. "This situation created uncertainty among families that were planning to apply under the scheme since its removal has effectively denied them the right to buy the home they are living in," Mr Galdes said.

The Right to Buy scheme was intended to take people off social assistance and help them to eventually become home-owners.

"This is a right that is granted in the field of social housing and has been upheld for decades. It is a right that is granted in other European countries as well," he said.

Mr Galdes called on the government to publicly declare its position on the matter and whether it had the intention of revising the property prices it was asking families for.